DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for ophthalmoplegia — screening already-approved drugs against its 1-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleOphthalmoplegia maps to a 1-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 ophthalmoplegia 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.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2005 case report describes a 70-year-old man with complete ophthalmoplegia following herpes zoster ophthalmicus. He received intramuscular dexamethasone 5 mg for 10 days, then oral prednisolone 15 mg for two weeks and 10 mg for two weeks. The patient fully recovered from ophthalmoplegia and exophthalmos six months after the skin lesions appeared. This is a single case, not a trial, and the recovery cannot be attributed to the steroid regimen with any certainty; spontaneous resolution is possible.
Two 2018 review articles discuss the diagnostic challenge of ophthalmoplegia. They note that causes include restrictive, paretic, neurologic, and myasthenic conditions, and that clinical examination alone can often distinguish them without costly tests. No treatment data are provided in these reviews. No drug other than the steroids in the 2005 case is mentioned across any of the abstracts.
What is missing is any controlled trial of treatment for ophthalmoplegia, any patient stratification by underlying cause, and any funding for such research. The evidence consists of one recovered patient and two articles on how to diagnose the condition, not how to treat it.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Korean Journal of Ophthalmology · 2005 · 41 citations
A Case of Complete Ophthalmoplegia in Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus
AbstractPURPOSE: To report a case with complete ophthalmoplegia after herpes zoster ophthalmicus. METHODS: A 70-year-old male patient visited a clinic because of vesicular eruptions over the left side of his face with severe pain. Drooping and severe swelling of the left eyelid were present, along with keratitis and uveitis. While the lid swelling and uveitis were improving, external ophthalmoplegia and exophthalmos were discovered. Intramuscular injections of dexamethasone 5 mg were given for 10 days, followed by oral administration of prednisolone at a dosage of 15 mg for two weeks and 10 mg for two weeks. RESULTS: The patient was fully recovered from the complete ophthalmoplegia and exophthalmos six months after the onset of the cutaneous lesion. CONCLUSIONS: Complete ophthalmoplegia is a rare ophthalmic complication of herpes zoster infection. Therefore, an evaluation of extraocular muscle and lid function should be performed during the examination of herpes zoster patients in order to screen for ophthalmoplegia.
Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology · 2013 · 27 citations
Recovery of Ocular Motor Cranial Nerve Palsy After Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus
AbstractOBJECTIVE: To report the course of ocular motor cranial nerve palsy due to herpes zoster. METHODS: A retrospective chart review identified patients with ocular motor cranial nerve palsy occurring at the time of herpes zoster ophthalmicus. Patients were seen by a single neuro-ophthalmologist from 1994 to 2012. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were identified; 3 were excluded because of incomplete follow-up. Nine (50%) had complete recovery and 8 (44%) had partial recovery but no diplopia in primary gaze (mean time = 10 weeks). One patient with complete ophthalmoplegia had persistent diplopia in primary position for recovery. CONCLUSION: Ophthalmoplegia secondary to herpes zoster ophthalmicus has good long-term prognosis for recovery.
Journal of Binocular Vision and Ocular Motility · 2018 · 6 citations
Ophthalmoplegia: Definition and Clinical Diagnostic Techniques
AbstractOphthalmoplegia can be caused by multiple etiologies. There are restrictive, paretic, neurologic, and myasthenic conditions that can lead to reduced mobility of the eyes that at first glance may be difficult to discern from one another. While the examiner may be tempted to order various lab tests and scans to reach a diagnosis, the assessment of ophthalmoplegia by clinical examination alone can often provide enough information to determine the etiology, or at least rule out causes that can spare the patient and facility from unnecessary time-consuming and costly tests. This article will discuss the definition of ophthalmoplegia as well as various techniques that can be performed in the clinical setting that may help distinguish its underlying causes.
Journal of Craniofacial Surgery · 2022 · 6 citations
Herpes Zoster Opthalmicus–Related Ophthalmoplegia: Anatomical, Pathogenetic, and Therapeutic Perspectives
AbstractOBJECTIVE: To investigate the anatomical, pathogenetic, and pharmacological characteristics of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO)- related ophthalmoplegia. METHODS: Case report-based systematic review was performed. RESULTS: This study included 96 patients (54 [56.25%] women and 42 [43.75%] men [P = 0.221]). The mean age at presentation was 64.32 ± 17.48 years. All the patients included in the study had HZO- related ophthalmoplegia, with rash presenting as initial symptom in 87 (90.62%) cases, and diplopia in 9 (9.38%) cases. Thirty-seven (38.54%) patients achieved complete recovery, whereas 59 (61.46%) patients had permanent ophthalmoplegia. Females recovered in 26/54 cases and males in 11/42 cases (P = 0.028). Recovery rates after peroral versus intravenous antivirals (15/38 versus 19/46) and > 10 days versus ≤10 days antiviral treatment (22/54 versus 12/30) did not significantly differ ( P = 0.865 and P = 0.947, respectively). immunocompetent patients treated with corticosteroids had significantly better recovery rates compared to immunodeficient counterparts (17/34 [50.00%] and 5/22 [22.73%], respectively [ P = 0.041]). CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of HZO-related ophthalmoplegia is associated with gender, immune status, corticosteroid use, and time of antiviral treatment initiation.
Journal of Binocular Vision and Ocular Motility · 2018 · 4 citations
Acquired Ophthalmoplegia in Older Children and Adults
AbstractOphthalmoplegia or ophthalmoparesis are the terms given to paralysis or paresis of one or more of the extraocular muscles in one or both eyes. It may be representative of serious neurological or systemic disease. Other mechanisms may cause limitation of eye movement, including restrictive or myasthenic conditions, or combinations of several etiologies. Evaluating and differentiating the mechanisms causing ophthalmoplegia is important in determining the correct diagnosis and selecting the appropriate management in these complex cases.
Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society · 2007 · 4 citations · open access
Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus Complicated by Hyphema, Glaucoma and External Ophthalmoplegia
AbstractPurpose: To report a patient with herpes zoster ophthalmicus in whom hyphema, glaucoma and external ophthalmoplegia occurred. Case summary: A 59-year-old male patient developed severe ocular pain and decreased visual acuity in his left eye 10 days ago. He had been diagnosed as herpes zoster ophthalmicus 14 days before and given antiviral agent. He could not percept light. His left eye showed hyphema, severe exudative iritis and elevated IOP. Lid drooping and complete external ophthalmoplegia were present in the left eye. Systemic corticosteroid with concomitant antiviral agents and antiglaucomatous agents was administered. Results: Light perception did not recover and phthisis bulbi developed in his left eye at 2 months after the onset of the skin lesion. The patient showed gradual improvement in movement of the lid and external ocular muscle.
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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