DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for persistent fetal circulation syndrome — screening already-approved drugs against its 6-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease modulePersistent fetal circulation syndrome maps to a 6-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 persistent fetal circulation 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
endothelin receptor type B (EDNRB) — EDNRB 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 2rdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6IGK · 2.0 Å · ligand (2R)-2,3-dihydroxypropyl (9Z)-octadec-9-enoate (OLC). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a life-threatening failure of the normal transition from fetal to neonatal circulation. A 2025 clinical case series of two full-term newborns describes distinct phenotypes. In one case, maternal COVID-19 infection led to impaired maternal-placental circulation, fetal hypoxia, and severe PPHN requiring intensive support. In the other, a newborn with trisomy 21 had prolonged PPHN that responded poorly to standard therapy. The authors conclude that the pathogenesis of PPHN varies by etiology — infectious or genetic — and that both cases involved ventricular dysfunction. They call for further studies to develop early diagnostic and treatment algorithms.
A 1988 review notes that infants born very prematurely, at two-thirds of gestation or earlier, must attempt cardiovascular adaptation without the full biochemical, anatomical, and physiological mechanisms present at term. Many of these mechanisms are labile, and the clinical condition fluctuates between a fetal and neonatal state. The review states that non-invasive techniques have improved clinical management and the outlook for these babies enormously, but that much more remains to be understood to suggest safe and effective ways of supporting the newborn with a compromised circulation postnatally.
A 2017 paper describes the use of Doppler ultrasound to study the human fetal circulation non-invasively, and notes that this method is increasingly used to assess the effect of maternally administered drugs on fetal cardiovascular dynamics. Drugs studied include established and experimental antihypertensive treatments, tocolytics, and regional anaesthetics. The authors state that this application will increase knowledge of drug effects in pregnancy and provides a new method of assessing novel treatments. A 2018 review emphasises that the fetal circulation is an entirely transient event, functionally distinct from later life, and that understanding its physiology is vital for managing circulatory compromise in premature infants.
What is missing is a clear, evidence-based treatment protocol for PPHN that accounts for different underlying causes. The 2025 case series is limited to two patients and does not report survival or response rates. No randomised trials or large cohort studies are provided. The 1988 review, while noting improved outcomes, does not specify which interventions were responsible. There is no mention of any drug therapy being tested or proven effective for persistent fetal circulation in any of the abstracts. The field lacks adequately funded trials that stratify patients by aetiology (e.g., infection versus genetic syndrome) and by gestational age, and that use standardised echocardiographic endpoints to guide therapy.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
British Medical Bulletin · 1988 · 0 citations
Cardiovascular adaptation in the very immature infant
AbstractAt term the fetus has developed the biochemical, anatomical and physiological means whereby critical adjustments is the circulation can be made smoothly. When birth takes place two thirds of the way through gestation, or earlier, the bady must attempt to adapt to an extra-uterine existence without the benefit of these mechanisms. Some can be triggered effectively but many are labile and the clinical condition fluctuates between a fetal and neonatal state. Little is known about the human at this early stage of life and until recently much of out knowledge has been inferred from experiments in animals. Non-invasive techniques of investigation are revealing more information about the circulation and clinical management has been successful in improving the outlook for these babies enormously. However, much more remains to be understood in order to suggest safe and effective ways of intervening to support the newborn with a compromised circulation postnatally.
Abstractbe recorded when the fetus is still alive.The authors suggest that when the fetal circulation is failing there is likely to be a gradual reduction in the voltage of the fetal signal until the maternal rate rather than the fetal is recorded.Though this alarming possibility is theoretically possible it has never been re- ported in the literature, nor have I observed it.Before jumping to a concl,usion that might detract from the value of continuous monitoring of the fetal heart rate, it would be of considerable interest to find out through your columnns whether any of your readers have had such a case which is well docu- mented.
Developmental Pharmacology and Therapeutics · 2017 · 0 citations
Potential Use of Doppler Ultrasound in DevelopmentalPharmacology
AbstractThe non-invasive study of the human fetal circulation is now possible using Doppler ultrasound techniques. Until recently, these methods have been used to study fetal physiology but are increasingly being used to assess the effect of maternally administered drugs on fetal cardiovascular dynamics. Drugs studied include established and experimental antihypertensive treatments, tocolytics and regional anaesthetics. This new application of Doppler ultrasound will increase our knowledge of drug effects in pregnancy and provides a new method of assessing novel treatments.
PO589 Quantitative Overview of Interatrial and Interventricular Communication and Its Aspects
AbstractThe fetal circulation is an entirely transient event, not replicated at any point in later life, and functionally distinct from the pediatric and adult circulations. Understanding of the physiology of the fetal circulation is vital for accurate interpretation of hemodynamic assessments in utero, but also for management of circulatory compromise in premature infants, who begin extrauterine life before the fetal circulation has finished its maturation. This review summarizes the key classical components of circulatory physiology, as well as some of the newer concepts of physiology that have been appreciated in recent years. The immature circulation has significantly altered function in all aspects of circulatory physiology. The mechanisms and significance of these differences are also discussed, as is the impact of these alterations on the circulatory transition of infants born prematurely.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
Phenotypes of persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (clinical observations)
AbstractCite in English in Vancouver Style: Boichenko А, Gonchar M, Shevel D, Chunikhovska E, Stepanova K. Phenotypes of persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (clinical observations). Inter Collegas. 2025;12(2):53-9. https://doi.org/10.35339/ic.2025.12.2.bgs Archived: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17494210 Abstract Background. Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by abnormal postnatal transition from fetal to neonatal circulation. The COVID-19 pandemic and genetic syndromes, such as trisomy 21, have highlighted new challenges in its diagnosis and treatment. Aim. To analyze clinical observations of the development of persistent fetal circulation of various origins in full-term newborns, to spread awareness among the medical community regarding the features of the diagnosis of this pathological condition after birth by analyzing the causes of cardiovascular system dysfunction, the difficulties of diagnosis in modern conditions. Materials and Methods. The study was based on clinical and instrumental examinations of neonates diagnosed with PPHN in the early neonatal period. Doppler echocardiography, pulse oximetry, and standard clinical assessment were used. Two clinical cases of PPHN in a newborn from a mother with COVID-19 and in newborn with trisomy 21 were analyzed. Results and Conclusions. In the first case, maternal COVID-19 infection resulted in impaired maternal-placental circulation, fetal hypoxia, and impaired pulmonary adaptation of the newborn with severe PPHN requiring intensive support. In the second case, PPHN in a neonate with trisomy 21 was prolonged and characterized by poor response to standard therapy. The results of the study emphasize that the pathogenesis of PPHN varies depending on the etiology – infectious or genetic and is accompanied by ventricular dysfunction. An interdisciplinary approach is important for timely assessment of signs of heart failure with early echocardiographic assessment and changes in treatment. Further studies are needed to develop early diagnostic and treatment algorithms. Keywords: COVID-19, trisomy 21, fetal hypoxia, right-left shunt, echocardiography, Doppler. Цитуйте українською у стилі Ванкувер: Бойченко АД, Гончарь МО, Шевель ДВ, Чуніховська ЕС, Степанова КС. Фенотипи персистуючої легеневої гіпертензії у новонароджених (клінічні спостереження). Inter Collegas. 2025;12(2):53-9. https://doi.org/10.35339/ic.2025.12.2.bgs [англійською]. Архівовано: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17494210 Вступ. Персистуюча Легенева Гіпертензія Новонароджених (ПЛГН) – це потенційно небезпечний для життя стан, спричинений патологічним постнатальним переходом від фетального до неонатального кровообігу. Пандемія COVID-19 та генетичні синдроми, такі як трисомія 21, висвітлили нові виклики в діагностиці та лікуванні. Мета. Проаналізувати клінічні спостереження розвитку персистуючої легеневої гіпертензії різного походження (пов’язаної з COVID-19 та трисомією 21) у доношених новонароджених, зокрема особливості діагностики, причини дисфункції серцево-судинної системи та складності ведення таких пацієнтів в сучасних умовах. Матеріали та методи. Дослідження базується на клінічних та інструментальних обстеженнях новонароджених з діагнозом ПЛГН у ранній неонатальний період. Проводили допплерехокардіографію, пульсоксиметрію та стандартну клінічну оцінку. Було проаналізовано два клінічні випадки ПЛГН у новонародженого від матері з COVID-19 та у новонародженого з трисомією 21. Результати та висновки. У першому клінічному спостереженні материнська інфекція COVID-19 призвела до порушення материнсько-плацентарного кровообігу, гіпоксії плода та порушенню легеневої адаптації новонародженого з тяжкою формою ПЛГН, що потребувало інтенсивної підтримки. У другому випадку ПЛГН у новонародженого з трисомією 21 була тривалою та характеризувалася поганою відповіддю на стандартну терапію. Результати дослідження підкреслюють, що патогенез ПЛГН варіює залежно від етіології (інфекційної чи генетичної) та супроводжується дисфункцією шлуночків серця. Міждисциплінарний підхід важливий для своєчасної оцінки ознак серцевої недостатності з ранньою ехокардіографічною оцінкою та змінами в лікуванні. Необхідні подальші дослідження для розробки ранніх діагностичних та лікувальних алгоритмів. Ключові слова: COVID-19, трисомія 21, гіпоксія плода, шунт справа наліво, допплерехокардіографія.
AbstractMorbidity and mortality are high in fetuses with isolated complete atrioventricular block (CAVB), often caused by maternal anti-Ro and anti-La autoantibodies that enter the fetal circulation and trigger immune-mediated inflammation of the atrioventricular nodal and myocardial tissues.Fetal CAVB was treated with maternal dexamethasone at CAVB diagnosis and -stimulation for fetal heart rates Ͻ55 bpm.Cases treated with this protocol, compared with those who did not receive such treatment, had a lower rate of immune-mediated conditions (myocarditis, hepatitis, cardiomyopathy) resulting in postnatal death or heart transplantation.These data suggest that a standardized treatment approach including transplacental fetal administration of dexamethasone and -stimulation at heart rates Ͻ55 bpm may reduce the morbidity and improve the outcome of isolated fetal CAVB.The safety and efficacy of this approach should be further tested in a prospective, randomized trial.See p 1542.
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.
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