DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for nodular fasciitis — screening already-approved drugs against its 8-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleNodular fasciitis maps to a 8-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 nodular fasciitis 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
neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase 3 (NTRK3) — NTRK3 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-aminophenyldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6KZD · 1.708 Å · ligand 3-[2-[6-(4-aminophenyl)imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3-yl]ethynyl]-2-methyl-~{N}-[3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-5-propan-2-yl-phenyl]benzamide (DZ6). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Nodular fasciitis is a benign, self-limited myofibroblastic proliferation of unclear cause that often mimics malignant sarcoma because of its rapid growth, high cellularity, and increased mitotic activity. A single-institution series from the Children’s Hospital of Alabama identified 18 cases in children between 1997 and 2009, all treated with surgical excision. Only one tumour recurred after initial surgery, and all patients ultimately recovered with minimal morbidity. The series confirmed a broad age range, male predominance, and predilection for the head and neck, consistent with earlier reports.
A case report of a 64-year-old woman with nodular fasciitis in the medial canthus describes a rapidly enlarging asymptomatic nodule over six months. Fine-needle aspiration was inconclusive; CT showed a well-defined soft-tissue nodule without bone destruction. Local excision was performed, and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis. The authors note that the tumour often regresses spontaneously and that recurrence is exceedingly rare. Another report describes a 20-year-old man with intra-articular nodular fasciitis in the right knee, presenting with pain, joint effusion, and limited range of motion over three months. MRI showed a 2.5 × 2 × 1 cm lesion near the posterior cruciate ligament. Arthroscopic removal resolved symptoms within one month, and no recurrence was seen at six months. The authors provide an updated summary of 21 prior intra-articular cases.
A case of giant nodular fasciitis on the anterior chest wall of a 15-year-old boy reached approximately 8 × 6 cm and doubled in size within weeks, clinically mimicking a soft-tissue sarcoma. The tumour partially separated and fell off spontaneously, but the remaining portion continued to grow rapidly. Wide surgical resection was performed, and no recurrence, metastases, or other complications were noted one year after surgery. Diagnosis required pathological evaluation including immunohistochemistry, molecular genetic testing, and cytogenetic fluorescence in situ hybridisation.
What is still missing is any prospective trial comparing surgery to observation alone, given the known tendency for spontaneous regression. No study has defined which patients might safely avoid excision, nor has any trial tested non-surgical management. Patient stratification by size, location, or molecular subtype remains unaddressed, and funding for such work is absent.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology · 2010 · 38 citations
Single Institution Series of Nodular Fasciitis in Children
AbstractNodular fasciitis often resembles malignant sarcomas from a clinical and pathologic perspective. We describe the case of an infant that presented with a supraclavicular nodular fasciitis that recurred after an initial gross total resection. A review of pathology records at the Children's Hospital of Alabama led to the identification of 18 nodular fasciitis cases between 1997 and 2009, all of which underwent surgical excisions. Patient characteristics were similar to previous studies that detected a broad range of ages at diagnosis, a male predominance, and a predilection for the head and neck. Only one tumor recurred after the initial surgical intervention. All patients ultimately recovered with minimal morbidity.
International Journal of Surgery Case Reports · 2019 · 25 citations · open access
Nodular fasciitis of the face: A case report
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Nodular fasciitis is a benign, self-limited myofibroblastic proliferative lesion of unclear aetiology. It is often misdiagnosed as a malignant tumour due to its rapid growth, high cellularity, and increased mitotic activity. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We present a case of nodular fasciitis occurring in the medial canthus of a 64-year-old, otherwise healthy, woman. The patient complained of rapidly enlarging asymptomatic subcutaneous nodule over a period of 6 months. The tumour was firm, smooth, and indolent with limited mobility. Fine-needle aspiration was inconclusive, and the CT scan showed a well-defined nodular lesion in the soft tissue without bone destruction. A local excision was performed, and the histopathological findings were consistent with nodular fasciitis. DISCUSSION: Although rare, nodular fasciitis is the most common pseudosarcoma of soft tissues. Local excision is recommended; however, the tumour often regresses spontaneously, and recurrence is exceedingly rare. CONCLUSION: Awareness of nodular fasciitis and its benign nature is essential to avoid misdiagnosis and subsequent inappropriate aggressive treatment of the patient.
Intra-articular nodular fasciitis: a rare lesion case report and an updated review of the literature
AbstractBACKGROUND: Nodular fasciitis is a benign proliferation of myofibroblasts that usually arises in subcutaneous tissues of the trunk, neck, head, and upper extremities of young adults. It is not reported to arise in the joints. CASE PRESENTATION: In this report, we describe a rare case where nodular fasciitis occurred in an intra-articular location in the right knee of a 20-year-old man. The patient presented with 3-months' duration of knee pain without history of trauma to the extremity. Physical examination revealed pain, joint effusion, and limited range of motion (ROM) of the affected knee. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a 2.5 × 2 × 1 cm lesion in front of the posterior cruciate ligament. Arthroscopically, the soft tissue mass was removed and pathologically diagnosed as a rare, benign, intra-articular nodular fasciitis. Symptoms resolved 1 month after the operation and no recurrence was found at the 6 months follow-up. CONCLUSION: The present paper describes detailed characteristics of intra-articular nodular fasciitis and provides an updated comprehensive summary of 21 prior case reports.
Case Reports in Orthopedics · 2019 · 4 citations · open access
Giant Protruding Nodular Fasciitis of the Anterior Chest Wall Clinically Mimicking a Soft Tissue Sarcoma
AbstractNodular fasciitis (NF) is a benign reactive proliferation of myofibroblasts that predominantly occurs subcutaneously. Commonly, it presents as a rapidly growing swelling in 4-8 weeks. NF mostly occurs in adults aged 20-50 years and usually has a diameter < 3-4 cm. Giant NF with a diameter > 4 cm is rare. Owing to its rapidly growing nature, a precise clinical diagnosis is difficult; it is frequently misdiagnosed as an aggressive or malignant tumor. Herein, we present the case of a 15-year-old male who presented with a large protruding mass on the anterior chest wall. The tumor appeared clinically malignant as it was protruding and had doubled in size within a few weeks, reaching approximately 8 × 6 cm. Furthermore, the tumor separated and fell off spontaneously due to its large size. As the remaining tumor continued to grow rapidly, surgery was performed. Following wide tumor resection, no recurrence, metastases, or other complications were noted 1 year postsurgery. NF was diagnosed after pathological evaluation, including immunohistochemical analysis, molecular genetic testing, and cytogenetic testing via fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. Knowledge of the atypical clinical course and a combination of histopathological examinations are necessary to accurately diagnose NF.
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.
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