DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for plasmacytoma — 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 modulePlasmacytoma 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 plasmacytoma 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
NRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase (NRAS) — NRAS 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 gdpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6ZIO · 1.55 Å · ligand GUANOSINE-5'-DIPHOSPHATE (GDP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Plasmacytoma patients fall into two distinct groups with very different outcomes. In a SEER database analysis of 1164 patients diagnosed between 1973 and 2005, five-year survival for those whose disease did not progress to multiple myeloma was 72%. For patients whose plasmacytoma did progress to myeloma, five-year survival was 25%, nearly identical to the 23% seen in patients initially diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Age over 60 years was the only factor that correlated with progression (p = 0.027). The authors concluded that identifying systemic disease early would permit more aggressive treatment strategies.
Cutaneous plasmacytoma is described as an uncommon and clinically aggressive variant. A 1992 case report of a patient with multiple primary cutaneous plasmacytomas noted that only 20 such cases had been documented at that time, with a significant proportion progressing to systemic disease and poor prognosis. That patient was treated with combination chemotherapy and local radiotherapy and remained well three years after diagnosis, with bone marrow harvested for possible future autologous transplant. A 2010 case report describes a 47-year-old man with an aggressive extramedullary plasmacytoma of the lung and cutaneous lesions, accompanied by a markedly decreased number of NK cells (CD56+, CD16+, CD3-) in peripheral blood, very low NK cell activity, and decreased interleukin-2 production. Despite local radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy, the disease progressed rapidly and the patient died shortly after diagnosis. The authors state that cutaneous involvement in extramedullary plasmacytoma runs a rapid course with devastating effects on the innate immune system.
A 2011 case report describes a 42-year-old man diagnosed with a solitary plasmacytoma of the right shoulder in 2002, treated with local radiotherapy. New plasmacytomas in the knee and ankle in 2004 were treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy with good clinical response. In 2007, a new plasmacytoma in the right thigh was diagnosed and systemic treatment was chosen. No single drug or regimen is identified as reliably effective across these cases. What remains missing is prospective trial data that stratifies patients by age, site of disease (skeletal versus extramedullary versus cutaneous), and immune status, as well as funding for studies large enough to test whether early aggressive therapy alters the natural history of progressive disease.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Journal of Hematology & Oncology · 2009 · 44 citations · open access
Skeletal Plasmacytoma: Progression of disease and impact of local treatment; an analysis of SEER database
AbstractBACKGROUND: Previous reports suggest an as yet unidentifiable subset of patients with plasmacytoma will progress to myeloma. The current study sought to establish the risk of developing myeloma and determine the prognostic factors affecting the progression of disease. METHODS: Patients with plasmacytoma diagnosed between 1973 and 2005 were identified in the SEER database(1164 patients). Patient demographics and clinical characteristics, treatment(s), cause of death, and survival were extracted. Kaplan-Meier, log-rank, and Cox regression were used to analyze prognostic factors. RESULTS: The five year survival among patients initially diagnosed with plasmacytoma that later progressed to multiple myeloma and those initially diagnosed with multiple myeloma were almost identical (25% and 23%; respectively). Five year survival for patients with plasmacytoma that did not progress to multiple myeloma was significantly better (72%). Age > 60 years was the only factor that correlated with progression of disease (p = 0.027). DISCUSSION: Plasmacytoma consists of two cohorts of patients with different overall survival; those patients that do not progress to systemic disease and those that develop myeloma. Age > 60 years is associated with disease progression. Identifying patients with systemic disease early in the treatment will permit aggressive and novel treatment strategies to be implemented.
Abstract<h3>• Background.—</h3> Cutaneous plasmacytoma is an uncommon tumor and is mostly seen in the context of end-stage multiple myeloma. Only 20 cases of primary cutaneous plasmacytoma have been documented. A significant proportion of these patients went on to develop systemic disease with a poor prognosis. In a number of patients, however, the abnormal clone of plasma cells may arise in the skin and never progress to multiple myeloma involving the bone marrow. <h3>Observations.—</h3> We describe a patient who developed multiple primary cutaneous plasmacytomas after a possible insect bite reaction. The monoclonality of the tumor cells is demonstrated using immunohistochemical techniques. He has been treated vigorously with chemotherapy and local radiotherapy and remains well 3 years after diagnosis. Bone marrow has been harvested for use as an autologous bone marrow transplant in the event of systemic relapse. <h3>Conclusions.—</h3> Unlike previous reports of this rare entity, this case documents the monoclonality of tissue plasma cells with immunohistochemical techniques. As cutaneous plasmacytomas have been reported with an early significant mortality, unlike extramedullary plasmacytomas elsewhere, we have advocated combination chemotherapy and cryopreservation of uninvolved bone marrow for future autologous bone marrow transplantation should systemic myelomatosis develop in the patient. (<i>Arch Dermatol.</i>1992;128:962-965)
An Aggressive Extramedullary Cutaneous Plasmacytoma Associated with Extreme Alterations in the Innate Immune System
AbstractBACKGROUND: The role of natural killer (NK) cells in plasma cell diseases has not yet been fully characterized. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 47-year-old man with an extremely aggressive extramedullary plasmacytoma of the lung with associated cutaneous lesions, whose disease was accompanied by a significantly decreased number of NK cells (CD56+, CD16+, CD3-) in the peripheral blood, very low NK cell activity levels, and a decreased interleukin-2 production from cultured cells in vitro. Histology and immunohistochemistry of the lung and cutaneous lesions identified that the tumor was composed of clonal plasma cells which were CD38+++, CD138+++, lambda chain+, kappa chain-, and cytokeratin-. Bone marrow histology and cytology were initially normal. The disease progressed rapidly despite local radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy, and the patient died shortly after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Cutaneous involvement in extramedullary plasmacytoma represents a clinically aggressive variant of plasma cell tumor, which runs a rapid course and has associated devastating effects on the patient's innate immune system.
Diagnosis of pancreatic plasmacytoma by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration
AbstractA 42-year-old male was diagnosed with a solitary plasmacytoma in the right shoulder in 2002, which was treated with local radiotherapy. In December 2004, new plasmacytomas in the knee and ankle were diagnosed and treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, with good clinical response. In November 2007, a new plasmacytoma in the right thigh was diagnosed and systemic treatment was chosen.
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.
