DeCure for Palmoplantar keratoderma-esophageal carcinoma syndrome
DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for palmoplantar keratoderma-esophageal carcinoma syndrome — 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 modulePalmoplantar keratoderma-esophageal carcinoma syndrome 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 palmoplantar keratoderma-esophageal carcinoma syndrome 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
rhomboid 5 homolog 2 (RHBDF2) — RHBDF2 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 8SNN · 2.32 Å · ligand none (apo structure). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 1988 case report describes a 49-year-old man who developed nonfamilial, acquired diffuse palmoplantar keratoderma over three months and was later found to have primary bronchial carcinoma. The authors note that a review of similar published cases suggests a possible relationship between late-onset, nonfamilial palmoplantar keratoderma and intrathoracic squamous cell carcinoma. No survival data, response rates, or sample sizes beyond the single patient are given; the report is a clinical observation, not a controlled study.
A 2015 case report describes a 67-year-old Vietnam veteran with no family history of palmoplantar keratoderma who developed bilateral palmoplantar hyperkeratosis and multiple squamous cell carcinomas in situ (SCCIS) beginning 23 years after service. The SCCIS appeared on both sun-exposed and non-sun-exposed sites, and the palmoplantar lesions were diagnosed at the same time as the SCCIS. The patient continued to develop new SCCIS over the 25 years following his first clinic visit. The report attributes the keratoderma to arsenic exposure from Agent Blue, an arsenical herbicide used in the Vietnam War, but provides no numbers on how many patients might be affected or any treatment outcomes.
A 2002 study of five members of a Jewish family with epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma identified a mutation in exon 1 of the keratin 9 gene at codon 160. The authors state that this mutation location is typical for the condition. No data on oesophageal carcinoma or any other malignancy are reported in this family; the study is limited to genetic analysis of a single family with no follow-up on cancer incidence.
What is still missing: no prospective trials exist for any drug in palmoplantar keratoderma–esophageal carcinoma syndrome. There are no randomised controlled trials, no biomarker-stratified patient cohorts, and no funding for a dedicated treatment study. The available evidence consists entirely of case reports and a small genetic family study, none of which test a therapeutic intervention.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Archives of Dermatology · 1988 · 15 citations
Acquired Diffuse Keratoderma of the Palms and Soles With Bronchial Carcinoma: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature
Abstract<h3>To the Editor.—</h3> There have been some reports of internal malignancy associated with nonfamilial palmoplantar keratoderma of late onset,<sup>1-4</sup>as well as of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in association with familial keratosis palmaris et plantaris of early onset.<sup>5</sup>We describe a patient who had developed nonfamilial, acquired diffuse palmoplantar keratoderma of late onset as a cutaneous manifestation of primary bronchial carcinoma. A review of the literature on similar cases<sup>1-4</sup>disclosed a possible relationship between late-onset, nonfamilial palmoplantar keratoderma and intrathoracic squamous cell carcinoma. <h3>Report of a Case.—</h3> A 49-year-old man presented to our clinic in June 1985, with a three-month history of progressive thickening of his palms and soles. Physical examination revealed diffuse keratoderma of both palms and soles with dry, thick, and yellowish scales (Figure). Repeated microscopic examinations and cultures of scales for fungi gave negative findings. A skin biopsy specimen obtained from the palmar skin
Australasian Journal of Dermatology · 2015 · 5 citations
Palmoplantar keratoses and <scp>B</scp>owen's disease in a <scp>V</scp>ietnam veteran: Could <scp>A</scp>gent <scp>B</scp>lue be implicated?
AbstractAgent Blue was an arsenical herbicide used extensively in the Vietnam War. Arsenic is one of the known causes of acquired palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK). The most common manifestation of arsenic exposure in susceptible individuals is bilateral palmoplantar hyperkeratosis. We report a 67-year-old man with no known prior exposure to arsenic in the USA or family history of PPK who developed multiple squamous cell carcinoma in situ (SCCIS) and palmoplantar hyperkeratotic lesions beginning 23 years after service in Vietnam. The SCCIS were located on the trunk and extremities in both sun-exposed and non-sun-exposed sites and his palmoplantar lesions were diagnosed concurrently with his SCCIS. He has continued to develop SCCIS since his first visit to our clinic 25 years ago.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology · 2002 · 3 citations
Keratin‐9 gene mutation in a family with epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma
AbstractBACKGROUND: Epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder of keratinization. METHODS: We studied five members of a Jewish family with epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma. Genomic DNA was extracted from leucocytes, and exon 1 of the keratin 9 gene was amplified using polymerase chain reaction techniques. RESULTS: The mutation was found in exon 1 of the keratin 9 gene in codon 160. CONCLUSIONS: Like most of the other families with clinical features of epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma the mutation is found in exon 1 of the keratin 9 gene.
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.
