DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for orbital plasma cell granuloma — 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 moduleOrbital plasma cell granuloma 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 orbital plasma cell granuloma 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
nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1 (NR3C1) — NR3C1 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 adpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 7KW7 · 3.57 Å · ligand ADENOSINE-5'-DIPHOSPHATE (ADP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 37-year-old man with plasma cell granuloma of the middle ear and mastoid was reported in 1992; the lesion appeared as a homogeneously enhancing mass on MRI, replacing most of the mastoid bone and compressing vessels. Histochemical studies confirmed a polyclonal, nonneoplastic origin. The authors stated this was the first case of plasma cell granuloma at that anatomical site. A 2013 case of intracranial plasma cell granuloma described the longest known follow-up period in the literature: 14 years, during which the patient experienced four recurrences. Treatment consisted of three craniotomies, 3,600 cGy fractionated radiation, and two courses of glucocorticoid therapy. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate, an inflammatory blood marker, coincided with recurrence and response to therapy. A 2024 report of cutaneous plasma cell granuloma in an adult male noted that surgical resection is the primary treatment choice; the condition is described as an extremely rare benign growth.
A 2012 review of granulomas in formalin-fixed tissue noted that 12 to 36% of granulomas have no identified cause, and that molecular methods may reduce that proportion. The review summarised known causes—mycobacteria and fungi are frequent—and described new research on granuloma formation and function. A 2017 Russian-language review of elastolytic granulomas discussed classification, aetiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, and treatment options, and described three cases of actinic granuloma and annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma for the first time in that literature.
No abstract reports any drug treatment for orbital plasma cell granuloma specifically. No abstract provides survival or response rates for any drug in this disease. The 2013 intracranial case used glucocorticoids as part of a multimodal regimen, but no controlled data exist. What is missing is any prospective trial, any standardised drug protocol, any biomarker to predict which patients will relapse, and any funding for a dedicated study of this rare entity. Patient stratification by anatomical site, recurrence pattern, or inflammatory markers has not been attempted in a systematic way.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Head & Neck · 2000 · 56 citations · open access
Treatment of giant cell granuloma of the maxilla with intralesional injection of steroids
AbstractBACKGROUND: Giant cell granuloma is rare in the head and neck region and most commonly affects the maxilla and mandible. Although it is a benign disease process, it may be locally destructive. Surgery is the treatment currently recommended. Because of the location of the disease, surgery may be disfiguring. Because it is a benign process, less radical nonsurgical treatment alternatives are desirable. METHODS: A case report of a giant cell granuloma treated with steroid injections. RESULTS: After six weekly intralesional steroid injections, a giant cell granuloma of the maxilla became calcified and smaller. After a follow-up period of 2 years, there was no evidence of regrowth, and the bony osteolytic lesion had filled with bone. A review of the literature revealed two case reports of successful steroid injections with similar response. CONCLUSIONS: Steroid injections are a viable alternative in the treatment of giant cell granuloma, which may avoid surgery.
Plasma Cell Granuloma of the Middle Ear and Mastoid
AbstractWe present the case of a 37-year-old man with plasma cell granuloma affecting the middle ear and mastoid. At magnetic resonance imaging scan, the lesion appeared as a homogeneously enhancing mass of soft tissue replacing the majority of the mastoid bone and causing vascular compression. After surgical resection, microscopic examination showed predominantly plasmacytes, and histochemical studies confirmed a polyclonal origin consistent with nonneoplastic plasma cell granuloma. We believe this is the first case report of plasma cell granuloma affecting the middle ear and mastoid.
Detection of Microorganisms in Granulomas That Have Been Formalin-Fixed: Review of the Literature Regarding Use of Molecular Methods
AbstractGranuloma is an organized aggregate of immune cells that under the microscope appear as epithelioid macrophages. A granuloma can only be diagnosed when a pathologist observes this type of inflammation under the microscope. If a foreign body or a parasite is not observed inside the granuloma, stains for acid-fast bacilli and fungi are ordered since mycobacteria and fungi are frequently the cause of this type of inflammation. It is calculated that 12 to 36% of granulomas do not have a specific etiology and many have wondered if with new molecular methods we could reduce this number. This paper will summarize the frequently known causes of granulomas and will present the recent literature regarding the use of molecular techniques on tissue specimens and how these have helped in defining causative agents. We will also briefly describe new research regarding formation and function of granulomas and how this impacts our ability to find an etiologic agent.
Oncology Letters · 2013 · 9 citations · open access
Relapsing intracranial plasma cell granuloma: A case report
AbstractPlasma cell granuloma is a pathological entity reported in nearly every organ system; however, intracranial cases remain rare. In the current case report, we present a case of intracranial plasma cell granuloma with the longest known follow-up period in the literature. Medical follow-up over 14 years, detailing four recurrences following the patient's initial presentation and management, is presented. The patient's treatment course consisted of three craniotomies, 3,600-cGy fractionated radiation and two courses of glucocorticoid therapy. In addition to disease surveillance using clinical examination and imaging, this case represents the first description of the clinical utility of analyzing changes in an inflammatory blood marker, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which coincided with recurrence and response to therapy.
AbstractWegener's Granulomatosis (WG) in its limited form can be a challenging diagnosis. ANCA, radiological investigations and histology should be interpreted in light of clinical findings. A delay in diagnosis can have profound visual consequences. Immunosuppressive therapy and co-morbidities can mask signs of orbital sepsis. A low threshold for further exploration and biopsy should be maintained if an orbital abscess is suspected. This report describes a complex case of WG that illustrates the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges inherent in this form of orbital inflammatory disease.
Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery · 2024 · 1 citations · open access
Orbital Giant Cell Reparative Granuloma: A Case Report
AbstractGiant cell reparative granuloma has a very low incidence and is thought to be a response to trauma. While there have been only a few reported cases of orbital giant cell reparative granuloma, we recently observed such a case and analyzed 16 previously reported cases of this type. It is important to note that further investigation is necessary to fully understand the relationship between giant cell reparative granuloma and trauma.
IP Indian Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology · 2024 · 0 citations · open access
An enigmatic cutaneous presentation of plasma cell granuloma- A rare case report
AbstractPlasma cell granuloma is a rare reactive tumour-like proliferations composed mainly of plasma cells, lymphocytes and innate immune cells like macrophages. Cutaneous plasma cell granuloma (CPCG) is extremely rare benign growth. A good immunophenotyping study is required to confirm the diagnosis. Surgical resection is the primary choice of treatment. We report a case of cutaneous plasma cell granuloma in an adult male.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · 2017 · 0 citations · open access
Clinical and morphological features of elastolytic granulomas
AbstractThe authors discuss current data on the classification, etiology and pathogenesis, clinical picture, pathologic features and treatment options of elastolytic granulomas (EGs). The authors disclose main aspects of elastolysis and elastophagocytosis development. Three cases of diseases from the EG group - actinic granuloma and annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma -are described for the first time in the Russian literature.
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.
