DeCure for Pineal Parenchymal Tumor of Intermediate Differentiation
DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Pineal Parenchymal Tumor of Intermediate Differentiation — 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 modulePineal Parenchymal Tumor of Intermediate Differentiation 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 pineal parenchymal tumor of intermediate differentiation 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
IKAROS family zinc finger 3 (IKZF3) — IKZF3 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 qfcdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 9UUM · 3.41 Å · ligand Mezigdomide (QFC). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2019 single-institution review of twelve adult patients with pineal parenchymal tumour of intermediate differentiation (PPTID) found a mean age at diagnosis of 40 years (range 26–78), with nine female and three male patients. Among seven patients with well-documented clinical courses, all were initially treated with surgery; three of six had a gross total resection. Adjuvant radiation to the resection bed was given in five of seven patients (71%). Over a mean follow-up of 71 months (range 13–195), five of seven patients (71%) developed a recurrence. Median progression-free survival was 37 months (range 13–73 months), with a non-significant tendency toward longer survival in males (57.5 versus 17 months in females, p=0.17) and after gross total resection (40 months versus 16 months after subtotal resection, p=0.49). Eighty percent of first recurrences involved leptomeningeal dissemination. At last follow-up, two patients (28.5%) had died, with a median overall survival of 168.5 months. The authors note that their observed recurrence rate of 71% and dissemination rate of 80% at first recurrence are substantially worse than the rates of 22% and 10% respectively quoted in the WHO 2016 classification.
Two case reports from 2020 and 2023 describe the histopathological and immunohistochemical features used to diagnose PPTID and to distinguish it from pineocytoma and pineoblastoma. Both emphasise that pineal region tumours are rare and often misdiagnosed, and that the WHO classification grades pineal parenchymal tumours from grade I to grade IV, with PPTID occupying an intermediate position. The 2023 report states that definitive histological criteria to distinguish WHO grade II from grade III PPTID remain undefined, a point also made in the 2019 review.
No prospective trial, no standardised chemotherapy regimen, and no molecular stratification for PPTID are described in these abstracts. The 2019 review explicitly states that lack of standardised therapies results in challenges in individual patient management. What is missing is a multi-centre prospective registry or trial large enough to define grade-specific outcomes, a validated molecular or immunohistochemical grading system, and funding to support such work given the extreme rarity of the tumour.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
IP Journal of diagnostic pathology and oncology/IP journal of diagnostic pathology and oncology/Journal of diagnostic pathology and oncology · 2023 · 1 citations · open access
A rare and challenging case of pineal gland tumor – A case report
AbstractPineal gland tumors are of rare occurrence and may arise from pineal parenchymal cells, the neighboring glia or residual stem cells. Due to its rarity pineal gland tumors are often misdiagnosed. The World Health Organsation (WHO) classifies and grades pineal parenchymal tumors from grade I to grade IV. We present a case report of a rare pineal parenchymal tumor (PPT) in an adult female which was diagnosed mainly on histopathology and aided by immunohistochemistry. The case report includes review of histopathological features and grading of pineal region tumors of intermediate malignancy which is necessary for further management of such cases.
RARE-25. CLINICAL FEATURES OF PINEAL PARENCHYMAL TUMOR OF INTERMEDIATE DIFFERENTIATION (PPTID): A SINGLE INSTITUTION REVIEW
AbstractAbstract Pineal parenchymal tumors of intermediate differentiation (PPTID) are rare. Even in the most recent WHO 2016, definitive histological criteria to distinguish grade II from III lesions remain to be defined. While no single institution has large numbers of cases, our experience has been that the clinical course is more varied and complicated than reported. The University of Colorado Health pathology database was queried for cases diagnosed as PPTID, 2006 – 2019, inclusive. Twelve adult patients were identified. Mean age at diagnosis was 40 years (range 26–78). There were 9 female and 3 male patients. Seven patients had well-documented clinical courses at our primary institution. At initial diagnosis, all were treated with surgery and 3/6 documented a gross total resection (GTR). Adjuvant radiation therapy to the resection bed in was administered in 5 of 7 (71%) of patients (4 IMRT, 1 SRS). Mean follow-up time was 71 months (range 13–195); 5/7 (71%) of patients developed a recurrence. Median progression free survival was 37 months (range 13- 73 months), with tendency to be longer for male gender (57.5 versus 17 months in females, p=0.17), and GTR (40 months versus 16 months in subtotal resection, p=0.49). Eighty percent of first recurrent disease had leptomeningeal dissemination. First recurrences were treated with radiation alone in 3 (60%) patients (1 SRS, 1 IMRT), craniospinal radiation with multi-agent chemotherapy in 1 (20%) patient, and surgery with radiation therapy in 1 (20%). At last follow-up, 2 patients (28.5%) had died, with median OS of 168.5 months. Although PPTIDs have a known potential for local recurrence and craniospinal dissemination (quoted as 22% and 10%, respectively in WHO 2016), our data show a more dismal experience with 71% recurrence and 80% dissemination at first recurrence. Lack of standardized therapies results in challenges in individual patient management.
IP Archives of Cytology and Histopathology Research · 2020 · 0 citations · open access
Pineal parenchymal tumour of intermediate differentiation: A case report
AbstractPineal parenchymal tumours (PPTs) represent one third of the pineal region tumours. PPTs are subdivided into pineocytoma (PC), pineoblastoma (PB) and PPT with intermediate differentiation (PPTID). We report radiological, morphological and immunochemical features which permit to grade these tumours. Tumors of the pineal region can arise from multiple cellular origins and thus represent a very heterogeneous group of pathologies.Within the subgroup of pineal parenchymal tumors, there is a histopathologic spectrum ranging from pineocytoma to pineal parenchymal tumors of intermediate differentiation to pineoblastoma. The currentWorld Health Organization classification and the histopathologic features of the pineal parenchymal tumor subtypes with intermediate differentiation are described. Keywords: Pineal parenchymal tumours, Pineal parenchymal tumours with, Intermediate differentiation, Pineoblastoma and Pineocytoma.
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.
