DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for nerve plexus disease — screening already-approved drugs against its 36-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleNerve plexus disease maps to a 36-gene Open Targets module — the target space DeCure's AI scientist screens approved drugs against.
DeCure.ai methodSignature reversal (LINCS) plus network proximity (STRING) rank already-approved drugs likely to perturb this module — the same engine that produces DeCure.ai's repurposing hypotheses.
Repurposing thesisScreening approved medicines against this disease module, then publishing the evidence for the strongest candidate. Known pharmacology and human exposure data make the first question sharper — they do not establish safety or efficacy in a new indication.
Research record
01
ResearchComing soon
Candidate research + dossier — target rationale, drug-repurposing thesis and evidence pack.proof: Published dossier + on-chain hash
02
ValidationComing soon
In-vitro biological validation at a contract research org (CRO).proof: CRO contract + in-vitro report
03
Peer review & paperComing soon
Peer-reviewed paper published open-access (preprint + journal).proof: DOI + open-access link + on-chain hash
Current lead
No approved-drug candidate for nerve plexus disease is corroborated in the literature DeepSearch retrieved. Some conditions are managed with non-pharmacological care — a device, surgery or physical therapy — rather than a medicine; that may be the case here, or the literature we found may simply be too sparse yet to support a drug-repurposing angle.
Molecular view
EPH receptor B3 (EPHB3) — EPHB3 is one of the genes genetically linked to this disease in Open Targets — shown as context, not as a drug target we're pursuing: no approved-drug candidate for this disease is yet corroborated in the literature we found.
Loading structure…
helix sheet 4-phenylazanylquinazolin-7-yldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 5L6O · 1.88 Å · ligand 1-(4-phenylazanylquinazolin-7-yl)ethanone (6P6). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2002 study identified PLEXIN-D1 (PLXND1) as a positional candidate gene for Möbius syndrome 2, a dominantly inherited disorder causing facial nerve paralysis. The gene was mapped to chromosome 3q21-q22. In mouse embryos, PlxnD1 expression was found in the central nervous system, including ganglia, cortical plate, striatum, and later in the cerebellar external granular layer and several nerve nuclei, as well as in vascular endothelium. The authors suggested a possible role in embryonic vasculogenesis. No functional link to nerve repair or treatment was established.
A 1980 study of complete brachial plexus lesions treated by surgical exploration and nerve grafts reported that early repair produced reasonable results, while late repair was unrewarding. The authors concluded that the future lay in early diagnosis and exploration. A 2008 review noted advances including better anatomical understanding, improved imaging, fibrin glue, nerve conduits, the immunosuppressant FK-506, and new nerve transfers, which had improved results particularly for upper plexal lesions. A 2022 case report described a 30-year-old man with hemophilia and a brachial plexus palsy caused by an organised chronic hematoma compressing the plexus, initially mistaken for a tumour. After early surgical decompression, symptoms were alleviated and nerves partially recovered at one-year follow-up. The authors stated that early surgical intervention is an essential precondition for recovery in such lesions.
A 2025 review article discussed defensins as immune system regulatory factors that may influence nerve conduction and play a role in peripheral nerve disease. It did not present any clinical trial data, patient outcomes, or specific therapeutic results. Another 2025 article provided a purely anatomical overview of the cervical, brachial, abdominal, lumbar, and sacral nerve plexuses, with no treatment or outcome data.
No drug has been shown in these abstracts to treat nerve plexus disease in patients. The 2008 mention of FK-506 is as an immunosuppressive agent used in nerve coaptation, not as a systemic treatment for plexus disease. What is missing is any clinical trial testing a drug specifically for nerve plexus disorders, any patient stratification by lesion type or timing, and funding for such trials. The surgical literature emphasises early intervention but provides no pharmacological alternative.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Developmental Dynamics · 2002 · 109 citations
<i>PLEXIN‐D1</i>, a novel plexin family member, is expressed in vascular endothelium and the central nervous system during mouse embryogenesis
AbstractThe genetic defect in Möbius syndrome 2 (MBS2, MIM 601471), a dominantly inherited disorder characterised by paralysis of the facial nerve, is situated at chromosome 3q21-q22. We characterised the cDNA and predicted protein, and examined the expression pattern during mouse embryogenesis of a positional candidate gene, PLEXIN-D1 (PLXND1). The cDNA for PLXND1 is 7095 base pairs in length, coding for a predicted protein of 1925 amino acids. The protein features all known domains of plexin family members, with the exception of the third Met-related sequence. Northern analysis revealed a very low expression of PLXND1 in adult mouse and adult human tissues. To investigate the expression of PlxnD1 during embryogenesis, RNA in situ hybridisation was performed on mouse embryos from various stages. This investigation revealed expression of PlxnD1 in cells from the central nervous system (CNS) and in vascular endothelium. Early expression in the CNS is located in the ganglia, cortical plate of the cortex, and striatum. At later embryologic stages, neural expression was also seen in the external granular layer of the cerebellum and several nerve nuclei. The expression in the vascular system resides solely in the endothelial cells of developing blood vessels. Based on our results, we suggest that this expression of a member of the plexin family in vascular endothelium could point toward a role in embryonic vasculogenesis.
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery · 1973 · 32 citations
Post-Traumatic Lesions of the Brachial Plexus
AbstractBetween 1963 and 1970 twenty patients underwent exploration of the brachial plexus for post-traumatic neural deficits. Nineteen had paralysis and of these nineteen three had clinically significant pain as well. The remaining patient, previously treated by amputation, had exploratory surgery because of pain. Operation resulted in significant improvement in thirteen of the seventeen who had neurolysis and in both of the patients who had autografting. Pain referred to the peripheral distribution of the plexus was not relieved by silicone capping of the ends of the severed nerves emanating from the plexus in one patient or by neurolysis in two others. Subsequent rhizotomy was helpful in two of these three patients.
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research · 1980 · 18 citations
The Role of Surgery in the Management of Closed Injuries to the Brachial Plexus
AbstractComplete brachial plexus lesions occur infrequently and have until recently been treated by amputation followed by fitting of a prosthesis. The results of such treatment are unsatisfactory. Recently, surgical repair of the plexus has been reintroduced; our experience with complete brachial plexus lesions treated by exploration and nerve grafts are as follows. Early surgical repair of the plexus does produce reasonable results, while late repair is unrewarding. The future of the management of brachial plexus lesions lies in early diagnosis and exploration of these lesions. In medical institutions with personnel interested in the problem of brachial plexus injury, further surgical research is bound to lead to new and improved treatment.
Indian Journal of Neurotrauma · 2008 · 7 citations · open access
Current trends in the management of brachial plexus injuries
AbstractIn the last decade several advances have been added in the reconstruction of devastating brachial plexus injuries. This includes better understanding of the anatomy, advances in the imaging techniques, use of newer materials for nerve coaptation (e.g., fibrin glue), introduction of nerve conduits, incorporation of new immunosuppressive agents such as FK-506 and addition of new nerve transfers which selectively neurotize the target muscles close to the motor end plates. These new techniques have considerably improved the results of brachial plexus reconstruction, in particular, the upper plexal lesions.
Defensin: The immune system regulatory factor against peripheral nerve disease
AbstractAbstract Peripheral nerve disease is commonly encountered in orthopedics, neurology, and neurosurgery. Due to its large population, a substantial number of patients are affected by these conditions in China. Peripheral nerve disease has a high disability rate and current treatments show poor clinical efficacy, resulting in a heavy burden for patients and the country's healthcare system. Defensins are widespread proteins, commonly found in animals, plants, and fungi, with multiple subtypes able to kill a variety of pathogens. As regulatory factors of the immune system, defensins influence bodily function by participating in inflammatory processes, immune responses, and pathogen resistance; they can affect all stages of nerve conduction and play an important role in lesions of peripheral and effector nerves. This article provides a review of the possible roles and mechanisms of defensins in peripheral nerve disease.
World Journal of Clinical Cases · 2022 · 0 citations · open access
Tumor-like disorder of the brachial plexus region in a patient with hemophilia: A case report
AbstractBACKGROUND: Various tumors and tumor-like disorders, originating from the neural sheath, as well as other types, may affect the brachial plexus region. Due to the infrequent presentation, brachial plexus palsy caused by spontaneous hematoma in patients with hemophilia might miss the treatment by early surgical decompression and progress to permanent nerve damage. CASE SUMMARY: The case reported here was a 30-year-old man with hemophilia, as well as both sensory and motor dysfunction of the left upper extremity. A presumptive diagnosis of brachial plexus tumor was initially made, which was subsequently confirmed to be an organized chronic hematoma rather than a neoplasm. The hemophilia-induced expanding hematoma compressing the brachial plexus was considered to be the main reason for the patient's complaints. The clinical symptoms were alleviated and the involved nerves partially recovered at a follow-up of 1 year. CONCLUSION: Early surgical intervention is crucial and it seems to be an essential precondition for recovery of nerve function in brachial plexus lesions.
Seminars in Interventional Radiology · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
Nerve Plexus Anatomy 101
AbstractNerve plexuses are complex networks of interwoven nerves in the peripheral nervous system. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the anatomy and function of the major nerve plexuses in the human body. The main spinal nerve plexuses-cervical, brachial, abdominal, lumbar, and sacral-are examined in detail, including their spinal origins, anatomical locations, and the areas they innervate. Understanding the intricate anatomy of nerve plexuses is essential for interventionalists, as it aids in the diagnosis and treatment of various neurological disorders affecting the peripheral nervous system.
Disease module: DeepOracle (Open Targets). Structures: RDKit from PubChem SMILES. Literature: retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works (targeted per-candidate search), resolved on OpenAlex.
DeCure is a research and publication project, not medical advice and not a treatment. "DeCure for X" describes a research goal, not a claim that a cure exists. Backing a cure is a contribution to fund the research — it is not an investment, and confers no yield, royalty, equity or IP ownership. Papers are published open-access by the DeCure.ai DAO.
