DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for overactive bladder — screening already-approved drugs against its 19-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleOveractive bladder maps to a 19-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 overactive bladder 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
estrogen receptor 2 (ESR2) — ESR2 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 3-fluoro-4-hydroxyphenyldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 1YYE · 2.03 Å · ligand 3-(3-FLUORO-4-HYDROXYPHENYL)-7-HYDROXY-1-NAPHTHONITRILE (196). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2016 study of 12,850 female twins from the Swedish Twin Registry found that overactive bladder was significantly associated with migraine (odds ratio 1.34), fibromyalgia (1.83), chronic fatigue (1.81), eating disorders (1.56), asthma (1.24), eczema (1.22), urinary tract infections (1.60), dysmenorrhea (1.53), and pelvic pain (1.60). Co-twin control analysis indicated that these associations were influenced by both environmental and genetic factors, without a single common pathway.
A 2024 review of emerging therapies for overactive bladder notes that persistence with current pharmacologic therapy is limited by poor efficacy and side effects. The review covers investigational drugs in preclinical and phase I/II trials that target ion channels, the autonomic nervous system, and enzymes, but provides no concrete efficacy data, response rates, or survival figures from those trials. It states only that these alternative pathways may provide more tailored management.
A 2012 review of clinical trials in overactive bladder concludes that comparative effectiveness of existing interventions is vastly understudied, patient-reported outcomes are poorly understood, and the caliber of trials evaluating efficacy varies widely. No new drug or therapy is reported as effective in that review.
What is still missing are large, well-designed comparative trials that measure patient-reported outcomes, a clear understanding of which patient subgroups might benefit from which pathway-targeted drugs, and funding to move the preclinical and phase I/II candidates through to phase III testing with adequate sample sizes.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
New England Journal of Medicine · 2004 · 414 citations
Management of Overactive Bladder
AbstractSymptoms of overactive bladder are common, are often distressing, and may have serious adverse consequences. Myriad factors — disorders of the lower urinary tract, neurologic conditions, behavioral factors, and a variety of commonly prescribed drugs — may cause this syndrome. This review considers the pathophysiology, diagnostic evaluation, and current treatment of overactive bladder syndrome.
Somatic Comorbidity in Women with Overactive Bladder Syndrome
AbstractPURPOSE: We explore the influence of co-occurring somatic illnesses on prevalent overactive bladder in women of premenopausal age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data for the present study were derived from a nationwide survey on complex diseases among all twins in the Swedish Twin Registry born 1959 to 1985. The present study was limited to female twins participating in the survey (12,850). Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate odds ratios with 95% CIs. Environmental and genetic influences were assessed in co-twin control analysis. RESULTS: Generalized estimating equations analysis showed a significant association between overactive bladder and migraine (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.15-1.57), fibromyalgia (1.83, 1.54-2.18), chronic fatigue (1.81, 1.49-2.19) and eating disorders (1.56, 1.24-1.96). There was also a significant association with allergic disorders including asthma (1.24, 1.01-1.52) and eczema (1.22, 1.04-1.43). Among reproductive disorders, urinary tract infections (1.60, 1.40-1.84), dysmenorrhea (1.53, 1.33-1.76) and pelvic pain (1.60, 1.31-1.94) showed the strongest association with overactive bladder. Results from co-twin control analysis indicated that the significant associations observed in generalized estimating equations analysis were influenced by environmental and genetic factors without a common pathway model. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a multifactorial and complex pathogenesis of overactive bladder in which associations between various somatic illnesses and overactive bladder may be affected by environmental and genetic factors.
Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs · 2024 · 10 citations
Emerging therapies for overactive bladder: preclinical, phase I and phase II studies
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Overactive bladder syndrome is a common chronic condition with a significant impact on quality of life and economic burden. Persistence with pharmacologic therapy has been limited by efficacy and side effects. A greater understanding of the pathophysiology of overactive bladder has led to the initial evaluation of several drugs affecting ion channels, the autonomic nervous system, and enzymes which may provide useful alternatives for the management of overactive bladder. AREAS COVERED: A comprehensive review was performed using PubMed and Cochrane databases as well as reviewing clinical trials in the United States. The current standard of care for overactive bladder will be discussed, but this paper focuses on investigational drugs currently in preclinical studies and phase I and II clinical trials. EXPERT OPINION: Current therapies for overactive bladder have limitations in efficacy and side effects. A greater understanding of the pathophysiology of overactive bladder has identified the role(s) of other pathways in the overactive bladder syndrome. Targeting alternative pathways including ion channels and enzymes may provide alternative therapies of overactive bladder and a more tailored approach to the management of overactive bladder.
Clinical trials and overactive bladder: lessons learned
AbstractOveractive bladder is a prevalent, costly and bothersome condition that greatly affects quality of life. Several therapeutic interventions have been introduced over the years – some conservative and others more invasive – to address the needs of this patient population. Scientific evidence to support these interventions varies widely with respect to number of clinical trials as well as the caliber of these trials to evaluate efficacy. Comparative effectiveness of these interventions is vastly understudied, as are patient-reported outcomes and understanding of what matters most to patients. This article will review the available data and level of evidence for the therapeutic alternative used in the contemporary management of overactive bladder, highlight recent advances in research and address the ongoing challenges in evolving care for this condition.
Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research · 2005 · 0 citations
Outcomes associated with pharmacotherapy in overactive bladder
AbstractOveractive bladder is one of the most prevalent medical conditions in the USA. Prevalence rates of overactive bladder are higher in women and increase with advanced age. Although the disease is not associated with mortality, it has significant impact on health-related quality of life amongst patients. Pharmacologic, as well as behavioral treatment therapies, are available for overactive bladder treatment with pharmacologic agents being the mainstay therapy. The purpose of this review is to outline the recent developments in the treatment of overactive bladder. This is an extensive review that provides important information on the outcomes associated with different pharmacotherapeutic agents used in overactive bladder. It concludes with the authors' opinions and suggestions for the future research in this area.
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.
