DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for ovarian serous adenocarcinoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 50-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleOvarian serous adenocarcinoma maps to a 50-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
approvedDasatinibApproved drug
Structures already discussed alongside ovarian serous adenocarcinoma in the retrieved literature, rendered from public PubChem SMILES. Which drugs appear here reflects the evidence found, not a ranked prediction.
Molecular view
Crystal structure of EphA4 kinase domain — Dasatinib has a real, experimentally solved structure in complex with this target (PDB 2Y6O, 1.543 Å). This is the drug's own deposited structure, not a prediction, and confirms it is a structurally characterised molecule rather than an untested guess.
Loading structure…
helix sheet 1n1drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 2Y6O · 1.543 Å · ligand Dasatinib (1N1). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Ovarian cancer mortality rates have been stagnant since around 1980, and high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is responsible for a disproportionate share of fatalities from all forms of ovarian cancer. A 2019 review notes that ovarian cancer is not a unitary disease but a multiplicity of distinct malignancies sharing a common anatomical site, with HGSOC predominating clinically. Surgical resection is described as an optimal and curative mode of therapy for serous carcinoma of the ovary, and staging is achieved with AJCC, FIGO and TNM systems.
A 2016 meta-analysis of single gene probes in the TCGA and HAS ovarian cohorts identified 32 candidate prognostic biomarkers in ovarian serous carcinomas. Twelve genes with high mRNA expression were prognostic of poor outcome at a false discovery rate below 0.05: AXL, APC, RAB11FIP5, C19orf2, CYBRD1, PINK1, LRRN3, AQP1, DES, XRCC4, BCHE, and ASAP3. Twenty genes with low mRNA expression were prognostic of poor outcome at the same threshold: LRIG1, SLC33A1, NUCB2, POLD3, ESR2, GOLPH3, XBP1, PAXIP1, CYB561, POLA2, CDH1, GMNN, SLC37A4, FAM174B, AGR2, SDR39U1, MAGT1, GJB1, SDF2L1, and C9orf82. The authors state these genes should be evaluated in future studies and could be combined into a prognostic multi-gene signature.
A 2022 commentary notes that targeted therapy largely remains an unmet therapeutic need for low-grade serous ovarian carcinomas, though recent molecular characterisation is beginning to change the landscape. A 2025 metabolomic study of 60 blood plasma samples and 60 urine samples from patients with serous ovarian adenocarcinoma, compared with 20 samples from healthy volunteers, identified 1,049 metabolites in plasma and 417 in urine. In patients, 8 plasma metabolites had significantly lower concentration and 19 had significantly higher concentration (P < 0.01); in urine, 12 compounds had lower concentration and 14 had higher concentration (P < 0.01). Abnormal concentrations of lipids, fatty acids, acylcarnitines, phospholipids, amino acids, nitrogenous base derivatives and steroids were found. Kynurenine, myristic acid, lysophosphatidylcholine and L-octanoylcarnitine are described as the most promising markers.
What is still missing is prospective validation of the 32-gene prognostic panel in independent ovarian cohorts, and clinical testing of the metabolomic markers as diagnostic tools. No randomised trial has yet demonstrated that targeting any of the identified high-expression genes improves survival in serous ovarian adenocarcinoma. The unmet need for targeted therapy in low-grade serous carcinoma persists, and no drug is mentioned in these abstracts as having been tested against these markers.
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 Molecular Sciences · 2019 · 711 citations · open access
High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer: Basic Sciences, Clinical and Therapeutic Standpoints
AbstractAmong a litany of malignancies affecting the female reproductive tract, that of the ovary is the most frequently fatal. Moreover, while the steady pace of scientific discovery has fuelled recent ameliorations in the outcomes of many other cancers, the rates of mortality for ovarian cancer have been stagnant since around 1980. Yet despite the grim outlook, progress is being made towards better understanding the fundamental biology of this disease and how its biology in turn influences clinical behaviour. It has long been evident that ovarian cancer is not a unitary disease but rather a multiplicity of distinct malignancies that share a common anatomical site upon presentation. Of these, the high-grade serous subtype predominates in the clinical setting and is responsible for a disproportionate share of the fatalities from all forms of ovarian cancer. This review aims to provide a detailed overview of the clinical-pathological features of ovarian cancer with a particular focus on the high-grade serous subtype. Along with a description of the relevant clinical aspects of this disease, including novel trends in treatment strategies, this text will inform the reader of recent updates to the scientific literature regarding the origin, aetiology and molecular-genetic basis of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC).
Single Gene Prognostic Biomarkers in Ovarian Cancer: A Meta-Analysis
AbstractPURPOSE: To discover novel prognostic biomarkers in ovarian serous carcinomas. METHODS: A meta-analysis of all single genes probes in the TCGA and HAS ovarian cohorts was performed to identify possible biomarkers using Cox regression as a continuous variable for overall survival. Genes were ranked by p-value using Stouffer's method and selected for statistical significance with a false discovery rate (FDR) <.05 using the Benjamini-Hochberg method. RESULTS: Twelve genes with high mRNA expression were prognostic of poor outcome with an FDR <.05 (AXL, APC, RAB11FIP5, C19orf2, CYBRD1, PINK1, LRRN3, AQP1, DES, XRCC4, BCHE, and ASAP3). Twenty genes with low mRNA expression were prognostic of poor outcome with an FDR <.05 (LRIG1, SLC33A1, NUCB2, POLD3, ESR2, GOLPH3, XBP1, PAXIP1, CYB561, POLA2, CDH1, GMNN, SLC37A4, FAM174B, AGR2, SDR39U1, MAGT1, GJB1, SDF2L1, and C9orf82). CONCLUSION: A meta-analysis of all single genes identified thirty-two candidate biomarkers for their possible role in ovarian serous carcinoma. These genes can provide insight into the drivers or regulators of ovarian cancer and should be evaluated in future studies. Genes with high expression indicating poor outcome are possible therapeutic targets with known antagonists or inhibitors. Additionally, the genes could be combined into a prognostic multi-gene signature and tested in future ovarian cohorts.
Clinical Cancer Research · 2011 · 43 citations · open access
Targeting Src in Mucinous Ovarian Carcinoma
AbstractPURPOSE: Mucinous ovarian carcinomas have a distinct clinical pattern compared with other subtypes of ovarian carcinoma. Here, we evaluated (i) stage-specific clinical significance of mucinous ovarian carcinomas in a large cohort and (ii) the functional role of Src kinase in preclinical models of mucinous ovarian carcinoma. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A total of 1,302 ovarian cancer patients including 122 (9.4%) cases of mucinous carcinoma were evaluated for survival analyses. Biological effects of Src kinase inhibition were tested using dasatinib-based therapy in a novel orthotopic mucinous ovarian cancer model (RMUG-S-ip2). RESULTS: Patients with advanced-stage mucinous ovarian cancer had significantly worse survival than those with serous histology: median overall survival, 1.67 versus 3.41 years, P = 0.002; median survival time after recurrence of 0.53 versus 1.66 years, P < 0.0001. Among multiple ovarian cancer cell lines, RMUG-S-ip2 mucinous ovarian cancer cells showed the highest Src kinase activity. Moreover, oxaliplatin treatment induced phosphorylation of Src kinase. This induced activity by oxaliplatin therapy was inhibited by concurrent administration of dasatinib. Targeting Src with dasatinib in vivo showed significant antitumor effects in the RMUG-S-ip2 model but not in the serous ovarian carcinoma (SKOV3-TR) model. Combination therapy of oxaliplatin with dasatinib further showed significant effects on reducing cell viability, increasing apoptosis, and in vivo antitumor effects in the RMUG-S-ip2 model. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that poor survival of women with mucinous ovarian carcinoma is associated with resistance to cytotoxic therapy. Targeting Src kinase with a combination of dasatinib and oxaliplatin may be an attractive approach for this disease.
Successful treatment of ovarian cancer with apatinib combined with chemotherapy
AbstractRATIONALE: The standard treatment for ovarian cancer is chemotherapy with 2 drugs (taxanes and platinum drugs). However, the traditional combination of the 2 drugs has many adverse effects (AEs) and the cancer cells will quickly become resistant to the drugs. Apatinib is a small-molecule antiangiogenic agent which has shown promising therapeutic effects against diverse tumor types, but it still remains unknown whether apatinib has an antitumor effect in patients with ovarian cancer. Herein, we present a successfully treated case of ovarian cancer using chemotherapy and apatinib, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of this new combined regimen in ovarian cancer. PATIENTS CONCERNS: A 51-year-old Chinese woman presented with ovarian cancer >4.5 years. The disease and the cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) had been controlled well by surgical treatment and following chemotherapy. However, the drugs could not control the disease anymore as the CA-125 level was significantly increasing. DIAGNOSIS: Ovarian cancer. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated with apatinib combined with epirubicin. Apatinib was administered orally, at an initial daily dose of 500 mg, and was then reduced to 250 mg qd after the appearance of intolerable hand-foot syndrome (HFS) and oral ulcer. Then, the oral ulcer disappeared and the HFS was controlled by dose adjustment, oral vitamin B6, and hand cream application. OUTCOMES: The CA-125 reverted to the normal value after treatment with the new regimen. Magnetic resonance imaging showed that the original tumor lesions had disappeared. Apatinib monotherapy as maintenance therapy was then used to successfully control the cancer with a complete response. Our study is the first, to our knowledge, to report the therapeutic effects of apatinib and epirubicin on ovarian cancer. LESSONS: Apatinib combined with chemotherapy and apatinib monotherapy as maintenance therapy could be a new therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer, especially adenocarcinomas.
Taking the Road Less Traveled: Following Molecular Trail Markers
AbstractTargeted therapy largely remains an unmet therapeutic need for low-grade serous ovarian carcinomas. However, recent advances in molecular characterization are beginning to change the landscape. A recent article highlights the association of genetic alterations with clinical outcomes, widening the scope of novel targeted therapies. See related article by Manning-Geist et al., p. 4456.
Women s Health Science Journal · 2022 · 1 citations · open access
The Flagellate Transition- Serous Carcinoma Ovary
AbstractSerous ovarian tumours are engendered from Mullerian epithelium and denominate a segment of surface epithelial-stromal ovarian tumours. Serous ovarian carcinoma is classified as low grade tumefaction comprising of benign, borderline and low grade malignant lesions and high grade neoplasms. Staging of serous carcinoma of ovary is appropriately achieved with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (FIGO) and Tumour, Node, Metastasis(TNM) staging. Surgical resection is an optimal and curative mode of therapy.
Klinicka onkologie · 2025 · 1 citations · open access
The metabolomic profile features of some biological fluids in serous ovarian adenocarcinoma patients
AbstractBACKGROUND: The search for effective biomarkers for ovarian cancer (OC) early diagnosis is an urgent task of modern oncogynecology. Metabolic profiling by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) provides information on the totality of all low molecular weight metabolites of patient's biological fluids sample, reflecting the processes occurring in the body. The aim of the study was to research blood plasma and urine metabolomic profile of patients with serous ovarian adenocarcinoma by UHPLC-MS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To perform metabolomic analysis, 60 blood plasma samples and 60 urine samples of patients diagnosed with serous ovarian carcinoma and 20 samples of apparently healthy volunteers were taken. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Vanquish Flex UHPLC System chromatograph (Thermo Scientific, Germany). Mass spectrometric analysis was performed on an Orbitrap Exploris 480 (Thermo Scientific, Germany) equipped with an electrospray ionization source. Bioinformatic analysis was performed using Compound Discoverer Software (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA), statistical data analysis was performed in the Python programming language using the SciPy library. RESULTS: Using UHPLC-MS, 1,049 metabolites of various classes were identified in blood plasma. In patients with OC, 8 metabolites had a significantly lower concentration (P < 0.01) compared with conditionally healthy donors, while the content of 19 compounds, on the contrary, increased (P < 0.01). During the metabolomic profiling of urine samples, 417 metabolites were identified: 12 compounds had a significantly lower concentration compared to apparently healthy individuals, the content of 14 compounds increased (P < 0.01). In patients with ovary serous adenocarcinoma, a significant change in the metabolome of blood plasma and urine was found, expressed in abnormal concentrations of lipids and their derivatives, fatty acids and their derivatives, acylcarnitines, phospholipids, amino acids and their derivatives, derivatives of nitrogenous bases and steroids. At the same time, kynurenine, myristic acid, lysophosphatidylcholine and L-octanoylcarnitine are the most promising markers of this disease. CONCLUSION: The revealed changes in the metabolome can become the basis for improving approaches to the diagnosis of serous ovarian adenocarcinoma.
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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