DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Ovarian Germ Cell Tumor — screening already-approved drugs against its 2-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleOvarian Germ Cell Tumor maps to a 2-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 ovarian germ cell tumor 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
forkhead box L2 (FOXL2) — FOXL2 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 apo structuredrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 7VOU · 3.1 Å · ligand none (apo structure). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2003 case series of 106 patients with malignant ovarian germ cell tumours treated between 1975 and 1995 reported that, after excluding 20 patients lost to follow-up or dead, 64 of the remaining 86 had fertility-preserving surgery. Among those 64, 38 attempted conception and 29 achieved at least one pregnancy (76%). Of the 29 who conceived, 20 were FIGO stage I, one stage II, and eight stage III. Sixteen received vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide; three received cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin; three received bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin; one received etoposide and cisplatin; four received no chemotherapy; and two received other combinations. Among the nine patients who could not conceive, seven were stage I and two stage III. Four of those nine received vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide; three received etoposide and cisplatin; one received cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin; and one received no chemotherapy. A total of 38 children were born, and among 16 with follow-up there was no evidence of congenital anomalies. The authors concluded that fertility-preserving surgery followed by chemotherapy, even in advanced-stage disease, conserved reproductive function.
Two 2013 review articles note that ovarian germ cell tumours are rare in paediatrics, adolescence, and young adulthood, and state that combining the knowledge of paediatric and gynaecologic oncologists can improve outcomes. These reviews present consensus management but do not report new trial data or survival numbers.
A 2014 study describes a mouse model of menopausal ovarian cancer using the germ cell-deficient Wv (white spotting variant) mutant mouse line, which has a point mutation in c-Kit that reduces receptor tyrosine kinase activity to about 1–5%. Homozygous Wv females have a reduced ovarian germ cell reservoir at birth and rapid follicle depletion after reproductive maturity, with minimal other biological phenotypes and a normal life span. The loss of ovarian function produces hormonal and metabolic changes that model human menopause. The Wv ovaries develop benign ovarian tubular adenomas, corresponding to surface epithelial invaginations and papillomatosis seen in human ovarian ageing. The authors propose that adding an oncogenic mutation such as Tp53 might convert these benign adenomas into neoplastic tumours to model serous ovarian cancer. The model is presented as a tool for biological and etiological insight, not as a treatment study.
No abstract in this set reports a randomised trial, a survival rate, or a response rate for any drug in ovarian germ cell tumour patients. The 2003 series is observational and does not compare treatment arms. The mouse model has not yet produced a tumour model, and no human data on drug repurposing are provided. What is missing are prospective trials with sufficient sample sizes, standardised chemotherapy regimens, and long-term follow-up that include survival outcomes and toxicity data for this rare disease.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2003 · 204 citations
Reproductive function after conservative surgery and chemotherapy for malignant germ celltumors of the ovary
AbstractOBJECTIVE: To analyze the long-term effects on reproductive function of fertility-preserving treatment for malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary. METHODS: A case series analysis was performed on patients with malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary seen or consulted on at our institution between 1975 and 1995. Follow-up information regarding reproductive function was obtained by a mailed or telephone questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 106 patients with malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary were included in the study. Twenty patients were excluded because of loss of follow-up or death. For the remaining 86 patients, the median follow-up was 122 months (24-384 months). Fertility-preserving surgery was performed in 64 patients. Thirty-eight have attempted conception and 29 have achieved at least one pregnancy (76%). Among the patients who conceived, 20 were International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I, one was stage II, and eight were stage III. Sixteen received vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide; three received cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin; three received bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin; one received etoposide and cisplatin; four did not receive any chemotherapy; and two were treated with other combinations. Among the nine patients who could not conceive, seven were FIGO stage I and two were stage III. Four of these patients received vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide; three received etoposide and cisplatin; one received cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin; and one patient received no chemotherapy. A total of 38 children were born to these women. Follow-up was available for 16 of these children, who have no evidence of congenital anomalies. CONCLUSION: Fertility-preserving surgery followed by chemotherapy, even in advanced-stage malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary, is effective in conserving the reproductive function of women with malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary.
American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book · 2013 · 21 citations · open access
Updates in the Management of Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors
AbstractOvarian germ cell tumors are rare events at all ages-in pediatrics, adolescence, and during young adulthood. Combining the knowledge and experience of pediatric and gynecologic oncologists can lead to better outcomes for all. In this review, we intend to present the latest consensus on management of women and children with this disease and highlight the opportunities for collaboration and clinical research going forward.
American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book · 2013 · 14 citations
Updates in the Management of Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors
AbstractOvarian germ cell tumors are rare events at all ages—in pediatrics, adolescence, and during young adulthood. Combining the knowledge and experience of pediatric and gynecologic oncologists can lead to better outcomes for all. In this review, we intend to present the latest consensus on management of women and children with this disease and highlight the opportunities for collaboration and clinical research going forward.
Frontiers in Oncology · 2014 · 13 citations · open access
Development of a Mouse Model of Menopausal Ovarian Cancer
AbstractDESPITE SIGNIFICANT UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENETIC MUTATIONS INVOLVED IN OVARIAN EPITHELIAL CANCER AND ADVANCES IN GENOMIC APPROACHES FOR EXPRESSION AND MUTATION PROFILING OF TUMOR TISSUES, SEVERAL KEY QUESTIONS IN OVARIAN CANCER BIOLOGY REMAIN ENIGMATIC: the mechanism for the well-established impact of reproductive factors on ovarian cancer risk remains obscure; cell of origin of ovarian cancer continue to be debated; and the precursor lesion, sequence, or events in progression remain to be defined. Suitable mouse models should complement the analysis of human tumor tissues and may provide clues to these questions currently perplexing ovarian cancer biology. A potentially useful model is the germ cell-deficient Wv (white spotting variant) mutant mouse line, which may be used to study the impact of menopausal physiology on the increased risk of ovarian cancer. The Wv mice harbor a point mutation in c-Kit that reduces the receptor tyrosine kinase activity to about 1-5% (it is not a null mutation). Homozygous Wv mutant females have a reduced ovarian germ cell reservoir at birth and the follicles are rapidly depleted upon reaching reproductive maturity, but other biological phenotypes are minimal and the mice have a normal life span. The loss of ovarian function precipitates changes in hormonal and metabolic activity that model features of menopause in humans. As a consequence of follicle depletion, the Wv ovaries develop ovarian tubular adenomas, a benign epithelial tumor corresponding to surface epithelial invaginations and papillomatosis that mark human ovarian aging. Ongoing work will test the possibility of converting the benign epithelial tubular adenomas into neoplastic tumors by addition of an oncogenic mutation, such as of Tp53, to model the genotype and biology of serous ovarian cancer. Model based on the Wv mice may have the potential to gain biological and etiological insights into ovarian cancer development and prevention.
Oncology in Clinical Practice · 2022 · 2 citations · open access
What is new about germ cell ovarian tumors?
AbstractGerm cell tumors of the ovary are the second most frequently found ovarian neoplasms following epithelial ovarian cancers. It is a heterogeneous group with an origin in a primitive germ cells. Therefore, germ cell tumors arise typically in the gonads- ovaries, and testicles. Neoplasms that develop from germ cells in other parts of the body are very rare. Among ovarian germ cell tumors, the most common is a mature teratoma. Tumors such as immature teratoma, dysgerminoma, embryonal carcinoma, or yolk sac tumor appear less frequently. Surgical treatment and chemotherapy, especially a protocol BEP (bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin) play the most crucial role in the treatment of germ cell malignancies. Before the introduction of systemic chemotherapy, treatment of malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary tended to be poor. The prognosis has improved recently and fertility-conserving surgeries are being performed to enable patients to become pregnant. Additionally, it reduces the risk of late side effects. However, more and more emphasis is placed on developing new methods of treatment and on improving current methods. Some studies showed a therapeutic potential of SOX2 silencing for embryonal carcinoma. The aim of our study was to review the literature to analyze the latest and most effective treatments for embryonic ovarian tumors.
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.
