DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Pilomatrixoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 2-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease modulePilomatrixoma maps to a 2-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 pilomatrixoma 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
mutY DNA glycosylase (MUTYH) — MUTYH 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 sf4drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 8FAY · 1.91 Å · ligand IRON/SULFUR CLUSTER (SF4). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Pilomatrixoma accounted for 1.04% of all benign skin lesions in a retrospective review of 205 cases from 2011. Nearly half of patients were under 20 years old, with a slight male predominance (107 males, 98 females). About 75% of lesions were single and smaller than 15 mm. The head and orofacial zones, especially the parotid region, were the most common sites, followed by the upper limbs (23.9%) and lower limbs (12.7%). Multiple lesions occurred in 2.43% of cases. Only one relapse was documented after simple excision.
A separate single-institution review of 57 patients (61 lesions) reported a mean age at diagnosis of 12.4 years, with most patients between 0 and 10 years. Mean tumour size was 1.46 cm, and most were under 2.0 cm. Tumours on the head and neck (68.9%) presented at a significantly younger mean age (9.4 years) than those on the body (19.8 years), and had a longer mean symptom duration (26.4 months versus 7.2 months). All patients were treated surgically; two relapsed, at 5 months and 3 years after excision.
A 2008 case report describes a 37-year-old man with a rapidly growing, pedunculated lesion on the upper eyelid that was excised. Despite a malignant clinical appearance, histopathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed benign pilomatrixoma, and no more extensive surgery was performed. A 2012 review notes that pilomatrix carcinoma, the malignant counterpart, is exceedingly rare, with fewer than 25 cases reported in the face and scalp. The authors state that in patients with recurrence or rapid growth of a pilomatrixoma, pilomatrix carcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
No drug treatment is mentioned in any of these abstracts. All reports recommend simple surgical excision as the standard management, with very low recurrence rates. What is missing is any prospective trial comparing excision to observation or any medical therapy, any data on non-surgical management, and any systematic stratification of patients by genetic or molecular markers that might predict recurrence or malignant transformation.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Medicina oral, patología oral y cirugía bucal · 2011 · 117 citations · open access
Pilomatrixoma. Review of 205 cases
AbstractAIMS: To determine the incidence and clinical features of patients diagnosed with pilomatrixoma. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A retrospective analysis was made of 205 cases of pilomatrixoma diagnosed according to clinical and histological criteria, with an evaluation of the incidence, patient age at presentation, gender, lesion location and size, single or multiple presentation, differential diagnosis, histopathological and clinical findings and relapses. RESULTS: Pilomatrixoma was seen to account for 1.04% of all benign skin lesions. It tended to present in pediatric patients--almost 50% corresponding to individuals under 20 years of age--with a slight male predilection (107/98). Approximately 75% of all cases presented as single lesions measuring less than 15 mm in diameter. Multiple presentations were seen in 2.43% of cases. The most frequent locations were the head and orofacial zones (particularly the parotid region), with over 50% of all cases, followed by the upper (23.9%) and lower limbs (12.7%). Only one relapse was documented following simple lesion excision. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of pilomatrixomas was 1.04% of all benign skin lesions--the lesions being predominantly located in the maxillofacial area. Due to the benign features of this disorder, simple removal of the lesion is considered to be the treatment of choice, and is associated with a very low relapse rate.
Journal of Dermatological Case Reports · 2008 · 7 citations
Pilomatrixoma of the eyelid
AbstractBACKGROUND: Pilomatrixoma is a benign tumor of the hair follicle that can transform into a malignant lesion, the pilomatrix carcinoma. We present an unusual case of an eyelid pilomatrixoma. MAIN OBSERVATION: A 37-year-old white male presented with rapidly growing, pedunculated lesion located at the superior right eyelid of five months duration. The lesion was excised under local anaesthesia. The sample was fixed in 10% formalin and histopathological as well as immunohistochemical analyses were performed. Results of both examinations were consistent with a benign pilomatrixoma. CONCLUSIONS: Even though the lesion had malignant clinical appearance, histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of a benign pilomatrixoma, supporting the decision not to make a more extensive surgery.
International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery · 2012 · 4 citations · open access
Pilomatrix Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Case Report and Review of the Literature
AbstractPilomatrix Carcinoma (PC) is an exceedingly rare neoplasm. Although it has been described at various anatomical sites, fewer than 25 cases have been reported in the face and scalp. Although early recognition and treatment is paramount in optimization of outcomes for this aggressive carcinoma, the diagnosis is complicated by shared features with its more common benign counterpart. In patients with recurrence or rapid growth of a pilomatrixoma, pilomatrix carcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
Journal of the Korean Surgical Society · 2010 · 0 citations · open access
Clinical Experiences of Pilimatrixoma in a Single Institution
AbstractPURPOSE: To describe the clinical presentations, management, and outcomes of patients with pilomatrixomas treated in a single institution, and to compare the clinicopathological features according to their location. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 57 patients treated between January 1986 and December 2007, retrospectively. RESULTS: The 57 patients had a total of 61 cases of pilomatrixomas. The mean age at diagnosis was 12.4 years, with most patients aged 0~10 years, followed by 10~20 years and 20~30 years. Mean tumor size was 1.46 cm, and most tumors were less than 2.0 cm in diameter. Forty-two tumors (68.9%) on the head and the neck were classified as Group I, and 19 tumors (31.1%) on the body were classified as Group II. The mean age at diagnosis was 9.4 years in Group I, and 19.8 years in Group II with significant statistical difference (P=0.009). The mean duration of symptoms was 26.4 months in Group I, and 7.2 months in Group II (P=0.001). All patients were treated surgically, and two patients relapsed (5 months and 3 years later). CONCLUSION: Pilomatrixoma is an uncommon benign skin tumor arising from hair follicle matrix cells. Diagnosis is usually easy based on clinical findings, and preoperative diagnosis may be improved with increased awareness of pilomatrixoma. Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice, and recurrence after complete excision is rare
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.
