DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for pancreatic endocrine carcinoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 9-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease modulePancreatic endocrine carcinoma maps to a 9-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 pancreatic endocrine carcinoma 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
colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) — CSF1R 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 ukidrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 8JOT · 1.69 Å · ligand Sulfatinib (UKI). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2016 meta-analysis of randomised phase III trials in neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) included 1,908 cases (1,012 experimental, 896 control). The pooled analysis showed that targeted agents significantly increased progression-free survival compared to control (hazard ratio 0.59, 95% CI 0.42–0.84; P = 0.003). Subgroup analysis by tumour site favoured pancreatic NETs. For all NET types, targeted therapies improved overall survival (hazard ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.63–0.98; P = 0.03) and response rate (hazard ratio 3.33, 95% CI 2.02–5.49; P < 0.00001). The authors concluded that the analysis supports routine use of targeted agents for NETs, particularly pancreatic NETs.
A 2023 single-institution study of metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PNETs) reported that these are rare, late-presenting tumours with increasing prevalence worldwide. The study aimed to compare outcomes of patients treated for metastatic PNETs and to identify a beneficial treatment regime according to tumour histopathological subtype, grade, patient factors, and patient wishes. No numerical results from this study are available in the abstract.
A 2008 German guideline states that more than 95% of pancreatic carcinomas are adenocarcinomas of the exocrine pancreas. Endocrine tumours arising from the islets of Langerhans are described as even less common than acinar cell carcinoma or cystic tumours. A 2001 review notes that chronic pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease leading to progressive destruction of both exocrine and endocrine pancreas, and that an epidemiological link between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer has been established, but differentiation between the two remains a great challenge.
What is still missing: prospective trials specifically for pancreatic endocrine carcinoma (as distinct from the broader NET category), data on which targeted agents work for which histopathological subtypes and grades, and patient stratification strategies that go beyond tumour site. The meta-analysis pooled heterogeneous agents and trials, and the single-institution study has not yet reported numerical outcomes.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Cancer · 1992 · 41 citations · open access
Treatment of advanced pancreatic carcinoma with the somatostatin analogue BIM 23014. Preliminary results of a pilot study
AbstractTreatment of advanced pancreatic cancer has not improved substantially in recent years. The search for new agents or new therapeutic modalities may be critical for further development in the therapy of this disease. Experimental and clinical findings suggest that it might be possible to develop a new hormonal therapy for exocrine cancer of the pancreas based on new somatostatin analogues. Preliminary results indicate clinical activity and increased survival in some patients. In this study, 19 patients with advanced exocrine pancreatic carcinoma were given the somatostatin analogue BIM 23014 using a range of doses from 250 micrograms/day to 1 mg/day. One patient had a partial response, 6 patients had stable disease, and 11 had progressive disease. Six patients showed a sharp improvement in pain and performance status. Side effects were mild. Plasma levels of growth hormone were evaluated in ten patients and remained unchanged. The clinical activity observed, even if limited, warrants further investigation using more appropriate schedules and administration techniques.
Differentiation of Chronic Pancreatitis from Pancreatic Cancer: Recent Advances in Molecular Diagnosis
AbstractChronic pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas, characterized by a progressive destruction of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas, leading both to exocrine and endocrine insufficiency. In recent years, our knowledge of this disease has improved, an epidemiological link between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer has been established, and the molecular alterations underlying their pathogenesis have been partly revealed. Nevertheless, the differentiation of chronic inflammation of the pancreas from cancer of the pancreas remains a great challenge. This overview will point out the present knowledge of the molecular pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer and will focus on the role of molecular markers for differentiating chronic pancreatitis from pancreatic cancer.
Cancer Biology & Therapy · 2016 · 9 citations · open access
Role of targeted agents in neuroendocrine tumors: Results from a meta-analysis
AbstractBACKGROUND: Several randomized phase III trials in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) showed the clinical role of new targeted agents and their impact on tumor response and outcome of whose patients affected by advanced NET. In this study, we summarize the available clinical data related to clinical efficacy of targeted therapies in the treatment of advanced NETs. METHODS: A meta-analysis of randomized studies in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines was performed after searching the databases of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and the ASCO University Meeting for relevant publications. RESULTS: One thousand 9 hundred and 8 cases were included in the meta-analysis; among these, 1012 were in the experimental arm and 896 were in the control arm. The pooled analysis of the use of target agents in NETs revealed significantly increased of progression free survival compared to control group (hazard ratio = 0.59, 95% CI:0.42-0.84; P = 0.003). Subgroup analysis of patients according to tumor site showed a difference in favor of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Moreover, targeted therapies improved the overall survival (hazard ratio = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.63-0.98; P = 0.03), and response rate (hazard ratio = 3.33, 95% CI 2.02-5.49; P < 0.00001) in all types of NETs. CONCLUSION: Our analysis supports the routine use of targeted agents for treatment of neuroendocrine tumors with particular regards to the pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
Zeitschrift für Gastroenterologie · 2008 · 6 citations
S3-Guideline “Exocrine Pancreatic Carcinoma” 2007
AbstractMore than 95 % of pancreatic carcinomas are adenocarcinomas. They develop by malignant degeneration of the exocrine part of the pancreas. According to current knowledge, the pancreatic carcinoma develops from a premalignant stage of the epithelium of the pancreatic duct system (PanIN: pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia). Cystic tumors that also arise from duct cells and acinar cell carcinoma which develops from secretory pancreatic parenchyma cells are not as common. Even less common are endocrine tumors that arise from endocrine cells in the islets of Langerhans.
Mesentery and Peritoneum · 2023 · 0 citations · open access
AB028. SOH23ABS_110. The role of de-bulking surgery and primary resection in metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms
AbstractBackground: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PNETs) are rare, late-presenting tumours with an increasing prevalence worldwide. The aim of this study is to compare the outcomes of patients treated for metastatic PNETs at a single institution. We also report the clinical features and treatment sequence with the aim of identifying a beneficial treatment regime according to tumour histopathological subtype, grade, patient factors, and patient wishes.
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.
