DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Ovarian Yolk Sac Tumor — screening already-approved drugs against its 20-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleOvarian Yolk Sac Tumor maps to a 20-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 yolk sac 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
NRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase (NRAS) — NRAS 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 gdpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6ZIO · 1.55 Å · ligand GUANOSINE-5'-DIPHOSPHATE (GDP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Ovarian yolk sac tumour is a rare malignant germ cell tumour that occurs primarily in children and young women, with a median age of 18 years in one Egyptian series of 18 patients. In that series, abdominal pain was the most common presentation (89%), mean tumour size was 21 cm, and 61% of cases were stage I while 39% were stage IV at presentation. Serum AFP was elevated in all cases at presentation (median 4191 ng/mL, range 725 to 402,908 ng/mL), decreased after surgery (median 145 ng/mL, range 2 to 38,000 ng/mL), and normalised after chemotherapy except in progressive disease. All patients received BEP chemotherapy after surgery, with complete remission in twelve cases; over a median follow-up of 17 months (range 2 to 48 months), two patients relapsed, and mean overall survival was 34.2 months with progression-free survival of 33.84 months.
In postmenopausal women, yolk sac tumour is aggressive and can present as a pure germ cell component or mixed with epithelial ovarian cancer. Two case reports describe women aged 61 and 62 with yolk sac tumour coexisting with high-grade serous carcinoma or epithelial carcinoma. The biphasic nature of these tumours requires thorough immunohistochemical evaluation, and the therapeutic and prognostic implications of correct diagnosis are emphasised, though no specific efficacy data for systemic therapies in this mixed population are provided in these reports.
Fertility-sparing surgery is considered a crucial option for young patients because yolk sac tumours are chemosensitive. In the Egyptian series, 83% of patients underwent fertility-preserving procedures with standard surgical staging; only two cases (11%) had panhysterectomy. A 2023 case report of a 14-year-old girl and a 2017 case report of a 13-year-old girl both describe management with unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy, consistent with the standard approach. The prognosis is highly stage-dependent, and early diagnosis is emphasised as critical for outcome.
What remains missing are prospective trials specific to ovarian yolk sac tumour, given its rarity; the evidence is limited to retrospective series and case reports. No randomised comparisons of chemotherapy regimens exist for this subtype, and the optimal management of mixed tumours with epithelial components in older women is unclear. Patient stratification by stage, AFP kinetics, and histological composition is not yet standardised in a trial setting, and funding for multicentre collaborative studies is lacking.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Ovarian yolk sac tumor coexisting with epithelial ovarian cancer: An aggressive rare entity
AbstractYolk sac tumor (YST) is the second most common subtype of ovarian germ cell tumors. It usually occurs in the second and third decades of life and is rare in postmenopausal women. In postmenopausal women, YST is commonly an aggressive tumor and can present as a pure germ cell component or as a mixed component with other germ cell or epithelial components. The recognition of this histological subtype is important not only for differential diagnosis but also for determining prognosis and treatment decisions. In this case report, we describe a 61-year-old woman with YST coexisting with epithelial carcinoma focusing on the efficacy of systemic therapies.
International Journal of Surgical Pathology · 2016 · 11 citations
Ovarian Yolk Sac Tumor With High-Grade Serous Carcinoma in a 62-Year-Old Woman
AbstractOvarian yolk sac tumors are germ cell tumors that usually present in children and young women. Rarely, these tumors can arise in older women, usually in conjunction with surface epithelial tumors, suggesting divergent differentiation from the latter. The combination of mixed ovarian yolk sac tumor and high-grade serous carcinoma is rare, with only one case documented in the literature. We present a case of mixed ovarian yolk sac tumor and high-grade serous carcinoma in a postmenopausal woman, including a brief discussion of the immunohistochemical findings and differential diagnosis. Despite the rarity of mixed ovarian yolk sac tumor and surface epithelial tumors, it is important to recognize the biphasic nature of the tumor, which should prompt a thorough immunohistochemical evaluation. The therapeutic and prognostic implications of proper diagnosis cannot be overemphasized.
Minerva Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2018 · 2 citations
Is fertility sparing surgery a treatment option for young patients with yolk sac tumor?
AbstractYolk sac tumor (YST) is the third most frequent ovarian germ cell type ovarian tumor. YST occurs primarily in young girls and in women at reproductive age and thus, the preservation of fertility is considered to be a crucial option if possible for these patients. Compared to previous years, the use of innovative chemotherapeutic regimens in the treatment of YSTs improved significantly the prognosis and outcomes of this rare type of neoplasia. As YSTs are chemosensitive, this fact favors fertility sparing surgical approach and less aggressive type of operations. We present a narrative review of the multispecialty fertility sparing surgical and medical approach of women with YST.
Journal of Cancer Therapy · 2016 · 2 citations · open access
Yolk Sac Tumor of the Ovary in 18 Egyptian Cases: Does It Really Differ?
AbstractBackground: Ovarian Yolk sac tumor (OYST) is a rare entity of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCT). Abdominal pain, a rapidly growing distending mass or irregular vaginal bleeding is the main presentation. Serum AFP is elevated in nearly all cases. The standard management is fertility preserving surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy. Aim of Work: To report and analyze retrospectively recorded cases that were either treated at National Cancer Institute/Egypt or referred there for advice about therapy. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective single-institutional analysis of 18 cases of OYST treated at National Cancer Institute-Cairo University from January 2011 till December 2015. The clinical and pathological characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of these patients were analyzed. Results: Data from eighteen patients were obtained. The median age was 18 years (range: 15 - 22). Abdominal pain was the most common presentation (89%). The mean tumor size was 21cm (range: 8 - 30 cm). Eleven of our cases (61%) were stage I, seven cases and (39%) were stage IV at presentation. Fifteen cases (83%) underwent fertility preserving procedure & the standard surgical staging. Panhysterectomy & formal staging procedure was done only in two cases (11%). One case (6%) underwent bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. 2 cases (11.1%) only underwent lymph node biopsy. 11 patient (61.1%) showed pure type YST while mixed type was present in the remaining 7 cases (38.8%): Dysgerminoma (one case, 5.6%), Dysgerminoma + immature teratoma (one case, 5.6%), Immature teratoma (2 cases, 11.1%) and Teratoma (3 cases, 16.7%). AFP was extremely elevated in all cases at presentation (median 4191 ng/mL; ranging: 725 ng/mL - 402,908 ng/mL). It showed decreased level after surgery (median 145 ng/ mL; ranging: 2 ng/mL - 38,000 ng/mL) & normalized after chemotherapy except for progressive disease. All cases started BEP regimen after surgery with complete remission in twelve cases. In follow up period (median 17 months; ranging: 2 - 48 months) two patients relapsed; the mean overall survival time was 34.2 and progression free survival was 33.84 months respectively. Conclusion: Ovarian yolk sac tumors are rare neoplasms. Surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy is the standard management. AFP is important for diagnosis, monitoring response to treatment and predicting relapse.
Clinical Case Reports · 2023 · 2 citations · open access
A large yolk sac malignancy in a girl, an uncommon yet challenging ovarian tumor: A case report
AbstractKey Clinical Message: Yolk sac tumors are rare and malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary occurring in children and young women. Fertility-sparing surgical intervention with adjuvant chemotherapy has shown to improve prognosis. Abstract: We present a case of a 14-year-old girl who presented with the complaints of lower abdominal pain and distention. Her tumor markers were increased, and radiological investigation suggested the diagnosis of malignant left ovarian mass. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of Yolk sac tumor. She was subsequently managed with fertility-sparing surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy.
International Journal of Reproduction Contraception Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2017 · 2 citations · open access
Huge yolk sac tumor in an adolescent girl: a case report
AbstractGerm cell tumours form a minority of all malignancies of the ovary. The common age group affected by yolk sac tumours is 11 to 24 years. Here, we present a case of yolk sac tumour in a 13-year-old girl who came with complaints of abdominal pain, distension and acute febrile illness. Fertility sparing surgery (Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy) was done while the contra lateral ovary and uterus was conserved followed by combination chemotherapy postoperatively. As pprognosis of yolk sac tumours is highly stage-dependent, an early diagnosis can result in a drastic difference in the final outcome of the treatment of this highly aggressive disease. Besides the rarity of the tumour, the importance of the fact, that a vigilant and informed clinician can make an early and timely diagnosis of this condition even in girls of such a young age and make a drastic difference in the final outcome of the treatment, compels us to present this case.
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.
