DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Oppositional defiant disorder — screening already-approved drugs against its 4-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleOppositional defiant disorder maps to a 4-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 oppositional defiant disorder 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
dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) — DRD2 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 8alphadrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 9BS9 · 2.28 Å · ligand (8alpha)-N,N-diethyl-6-methyl-9,10-didehydroergoline-8-carboxamide (7LD). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
An 18-year-old male with oppositional defiant disorder, assessed using the Disruptive Behaviour Disorder Rating Scale (DBDRS), had a score of 22 at admission and 0 after 16 months of treatment with the homeopathic medicine Sepia 200. The case report describes overall clinical improvement and uses the Modified Naranjo Criteria to attribute changes to the homeopathic intervention. This is a single case, not a controlled trial.
A systematic review of antipsychotics in children and adolescents with ODD or conduct disorder, covering 13 studies published between 2000 and 2024, found that some atypical antipsychotics can substantially reduce aggressive and defiant behaviour. Common side effects reported include weight gain, sedation, and metabolic problems. The review authors state that when used with behavioural therapy, antipsychotics can markedly improve outcomes, but they also note that efficacy in this population is still unclear and many physicians are remittent in prescribing them.
A separate review of ODD and conduct disorder notes that most clinical observations confirm the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic programmes, and that drug treatment is proposed only in severe cases or when psychotherapy is not effective. A case report of an adolescent with comorbid ODD and bipolar disorder describes diagnostic and therapeutic challenges but provides no efficacy data for any specific drug.
What is still missing are large, well-controlled trials that stratify patients by comorbidity, severity, and prior treatment response, and that systematically track adverse effects over long periods. Funding for such trials, particularly for non-pharmacological interventions and for head-to-head comparisons of antipsychotics against psychotherapy, remains inadequate.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
International Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research · 2022 · 2 citations · open access
Usefulness of Homoeopathic Medicine in Oppositional Defiant Disorder(ODD):A Case Report
AbstractOppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a disruptive behavioural disorder in which a child displays a pattern of an angry mood, defiant or combative behaviour, and vindictiveness toward people in authority. The child's behaviour often disrupts their daily routine, including activities within the family and at school. An 18-year-old male reported in the Out Patient Department with symptoms of anger and vindictiveness. The consultant psychiatrist diagnosed it as a case of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Disruptive Behaviour Disorder Rating Scale (DBDRS) – ODD items was used to assess the severity of the disease. Modified Naranjo Criteria was used to assess whether the changes were likely to be associated with the homoeopathic intervention. Overall improvement was noticed clinically. DBDRS score was 22 at the time of admission. Sepia 200 was selected as the individualized homeopathic medicine. His symptoms got improved and he was discharged. DBDRS score was reduced to 0 at the end of 16 months. Individualized homoeopathic treatment has shown a positive role for the management and treatment of disruptive behavioural disorder.
Interactive science · 2020 · 1 citations · open access
Oppositional Defiant Disorder in Childhood and Adolescence
AbstractOppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD), which usually develop at the age below 18, are considered as a sustainable antisocial and aggressive types of behavior, stepping beyond the borders of socially accepted standards. Within the recent decades, significant success has been achieved in the diagnosis and long-term predictive assessment of different types of behavioral aberrations, occurring during the childhood and adolescence. Early development of behavioral disorders forms unfavorable predictions and correlates with biological and social risk factors, such as attention deficit, impulse control disorder and unfavorable social environment. Most of the clinical observations confirm the effectiveness of different psychotherapeutic programs in the therapy of ODD/CD. The drug treatment is proposed to be used only in the severe cases, or in the cases when psychotherapeutic methods are not effective.
Breaking the Stigma: A Systematic Review of Antipsychotic Efficacy in Children and Adolescents with Behavioral Disorders
AbstractBackground/Objectives: Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) are important behavior disorders in children and adolescents, often linked with long-term psychosocial problems. Antipsychotics are frequently prescribed to manage severe symptoms and improve behavior, but their efficacy in this population is still unclear and a lot of physicians are remittent in prescribing them. This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of antipsychotic treatment in reducing symptoms associated with ODD and CD in children and adolescents. Methods: Studies that investigated how effective antipsychotic treatments are for children and teens diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) were reviewed. Only studies that met a few main criteria were included: participants were between 5 and 18 years old with an ODD or CD diagnosis; the treatment could be any type of antipsychotic, whether typical or atypical; the accepted study designs were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies, systematic reviews with meta-analysis, or observational studies. The outcomes of interest were reductions in aggressive or defiant behaviors, improvements in social functioning, and the occurrence of any adverse effects from the medications. There was no restriction on the language of publication, and studies published from 2000 to 2024 were considered. Studies that focused only on non-antipsychotic drugs or behavioral therapies, as well as case reports, expert opinions, and non-peer-reviewed articles did not meet the inclusion criteria. Results: The review consisted of 13 studies. The results suggest that some antipsychotic drugs—especially atypical antipsychotics—can substantially reduce aggressive and defiant behavior in children and adolescents who have oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder (CD). Common side effects of these medications include weight gain, sedation, and metabolic problems. Conclusions: Although adverse effects are a concern, the potential of these medications to manage disruptive behaviors should not be overlooked. When used in combination with behavioral therapy and other forms of treatment, antipsychotics can markedly improve the outcomes of these very difficult-to-treat patients. Clinicians who treat these patients need to consider antipsychotics as a serious option. If they do not, they are denying their patients medication that could greatly benefit them.
Journal of Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health · 2022 · 0 citations · open access
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges in an Adolescent with Comorbid Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Bipolar Disorder
AbstractOppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is often found to be comorbid with bipolar disorder (BD) in children and adolescents. Both disorders are characterized by chronic irritability, emotional dysregulation, and behavioral problems. These overlapping symptoms often lead to diagnostic difficulty. In addition, ODD-BD comorbidity also presents multiple therapeutic challenges. Here, we describe the case of an adolescent male, who presented with comorbid ODD and BD, along with multiple diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
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.
