DeCure's autonomous Cardio AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for peripheral arterial disease — screening already-approved drugs against its 42-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease modulePeripheral arterial disease maps to a 42-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 peripheral arterial disease 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
lipoprotein(a) (LPA) — LPA 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 2sdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 8TCE · 1.07 Å · ligand (2S)-3-phenyl-2-[(3R)-pyrrolidin-3-yl]propanoic acid (HWF). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Peripheral arterial disease is underdiagnosed and undertreated, and few therapies are available. A secondary analysis of the COMPASS trial suggested benefit with rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily plus aspirin 100 mg daily, a regimen that could change standard pharmacotherapeutic management for many patients. No other drug therapy in these abstracts reports specific survival or response rate numbers from a trial. The 2021 review states that modern guidelines define optimal therapy as simultaneous prescription of hypolipidemic, antithrombotic, antihypertensive and possibly vasodilator drugs, but does not provide new trial data.
For complex lower-extremity PAD, combination therapy using drug delivery devices alongside stents and atherectomy is under investigation, but the 2017 review notes a paucity of high-level evidence and little clinical research coordination. No concrete outcomes such as patency rates or amputation-free survival are given for any combination device strategy. The 2011 and 2018 articles are general reviews that do not contribute new numerical evidence.
What is still missing are adequately powered randomised trials with standardised endpoints for drug combinations and device-based combination therapies in PAD. Patient stratification by disease severity and lesion complexity is not yet supported by high-level evidence. Funding for coordinated, multi-centre trials that report hard outcomes such as major adverse limb events and mortality remains insufficient.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
European Heart Journal · 1992 · 13 citations
Medical treatment of peripheral vascular disease: good or bad?
AbstractThe majority of patients with intermittent claudication are treated conservatively; smoking must be stopped and exercise therapy commenced. There are various classes of drugs that are widely prescribed for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease. In this editorial the medical treatment of peripheral vascular disease is claimed to achieve at least one of three goals: (1) improvement of the functional capability; (2) inhibition of the progression of the atherosclerotic and anatomical lesions; (3) reduction of the cardiac and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality. Guidelines are given for well controlled trials for newly developed drugs for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease in the future.
Peripheral Arterial Disease - A Practical Approach
Abstract"Peripheral Arterial Disease - A Practical Approach" is an honest effort to provide a clinically relevant approach to the management plan in patients presenting with peripheral vascular symptoms. We have summarized the most pertinent practical aspects of peripheral vascular disease, their clinical implications, diagnostic testing, therapeutic interventions and innovations. We hope this book serves as a reference for basic and advanced peripheral vascular care.
The Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery · 2017 · 2 citations
Combination therapy for complex peripheral artery disease: the evidence for combining mechanical revascularization with anti-restenotic drug delivery systems
AbstractThe management of complex, lower-extremity peripheral artery disease remains a difficult challenge, with ample room for improvement in the results seen with current generation devices. Therapies which use a combination of multiple devices for their mechanical and anti-restenotic properties may be advantageous, and offer an opportunity to improve the durability of revascularization through optimizing and individualizing care. Combination therapy typically utilizes drug delivery devices in addition to stents and atherectomy to achieve improved results. However, there is a paucity of high-level evidence with which to direct treatment, with many different forms of combination therapy under investigation and little clinical research coordination. Herein we seek to describe and evaluate the growing number of options for combination treatment in this challenging disease.
Does rivaroxaban have a role in treating patients with PAD?
AbstractPeripheral arterial disease can cause devastating health outcomes, and few therapies are available to treat this condition. Results of a secondary analysis of the COMPASS trial suggest benefit with the use of rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily plus aspirin 100 mg daily. This treatment regimen could change the standard pharmacotherapeutic management practice for many patients with peripheral arterial disease.
AbstractPeripheral arterial disease (PAD) has a substantial impact on individual quality of life and is a significant financial burden to society. It is underdiagnosed, and therefore, undertreated. Early detection and treatment is essential to prevent increases in morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this article is to review evidence-based articles regarding prevalence, screening, diagnosis, and management of PAD.
Angiology and vascular surgery · 2021 · 0 citations
Key aspects of drug therapy in vascular surgery
AbstractPeripheral arterial disease (PAD) is one of the most common manifestations of systemic atherosclerosis. PAD affects millions of people worldwide, thus greatly contributing to the structure of mortality and disability of the population of developed countries. Along with surgical revascularization, pharmacotherapy is becoming increasingly important in improving the prognosis in such patients. Modern clinical guidelines define optimal therapy for patients with PAD as simultaneous prescription of several classes of drugs (hypolipidemic, antithrombotic, antihypertensive and, probably, vasodilators), thus making it necessary for the surgeon to take into consideration possible drug interactions. This literature review presents the evolution of evidence-based approaches to drug therapy and an algorithm of choosing drugs, depending on initial risk for ischaemic events in patients with peripheral arterial disease.
Sage Journals Data · 2023 · 0 citations · open access
sj-pdf-1-vmj-10.1177_1358863X231181613 – Supplemental material for Patient knowledge and preferences for peripheral artery disease treatment
AbstractSupplemental material, sj-pdf-1-vmj-10.1177_1358863X231181613 for Patient knowledge and preferences for peripheral artery disease treatment by Kim G Smolderen, Gaëlle Romain, Kensey Gosch, Ahmad Arham, Jeremy B Provance, John A Spertus, Anwesh B Poosala, Mehdi H. Shishehbor, David Safley, Kate Scott, Nancy Stone and Carlos Mena-Hurtado in Vascular Medicine
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.
