DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for poliomyelitis — screening already-approved drugs against its 9-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease modulePoliomyelitis maps to a 9-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 poliomyelitis 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
adrenoceptor beta 3 (ADRB3) — ADRB3 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 aledrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 9IJE · 2.34 Å · ligand L-EPINEPHRINE (ALE). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
No specific therapy for poliomyelitis exists. A 1946 paper states that medical science had found no cure and that the disease runs its course regardless of treatment; hot fomentations and early muscle reeducation were considered the best supportive measures. A 2020 review confirms that there is still no cure and that polio can only be prevented by immunisation. The virus is transmitted faecal-orally, multiplies in the intestine, and can invade the nervous system via the bloodstream, causing permanent paralysis in one out of 200 infections.
A 2020 cross-sectional study of 36 patients (mean age 70.2 years, mean age of polio onset 3.6 years) found that distal femoral cartilage was thinner on the more affected side than on the less affected side (all P<0.001). Talar cartilage was thinner in patients than in healthy controls (P<0.001). Quadriceps muscle strength correlated positively with medial condyle, intercondylar area, and lateral condyle thickness (r=0.377, 0.399, 0.363 respectively). Knee pain scores correlated negatively with talar cartilage thickness (r=-0.393). These findings describe long-term joint changes in polio survivors but do not address treatment.
An earlier 1910 paper summarises that experimental work had identified the virus and some of its properties, and had established a basis for prevention. That basis became vaccination, which remains the only effective intervention. What is still missing is any antiviral drug or disease-modifying treatment for established polio infection, and any trial design that could test such an agent in a disease now nearly eradicated through immunisation.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
The Journal of Experimental Medicine · 1910 · 76 citations · open access
EXPERIMENTAL EPIDEMIC POLIOMYELITIS IN MONKEYS
AbstractThe experimental study of poliomyelitis has yielded a large number of important facts relating to the spontaneous disease in man. The nature of the virus has been discovered, many of its properties have been ascertained, some of its immunity effects have been established, the clinical and pathological peculiarities of the disease have been elucidated, and a basis has been secured on which to develop measures of prevention.
AbstractMedical science as yet has found no specific therapy for the treatment of poliomyelitis. Many drugs have been used in the attempt to aid convalescence, but only a few have proved to be of any value in supportive treatment. For the time being, hot fomentations and early muscle reeducation seem to be the procedures of choice. This method of treatment is based on the assumption that the disease is self limited and that these procedures in therapy will bring about maximum return of function in the infected individual. Since no specific serum or chemotherapy is available, it is quite evident that this disease will run its course from day to day despite the many known therapeutic measures which might be undertaken. With this premise in mind, the available therapy must be thought of purely as a means of abating the illness and of preventing the development of deformities, subluxations and
Sultan Qaboos University medical journal · 2020 · 10 citations · open access
Wild Poliovirus Type 1 in Oman: A re-emerging threat that requires urgent, targeted and strategic preparedness
AbstractPoliomyelitis, also known as polio, is a highly infectious viral disease, predominantly affecting children under five years old. The virus is transmitted from person-to-person and mainly spreads through the fecal-oral route. The virus multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system via the bloodstream, potentially causing paralysis. Polio symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, neck stiffness and pain in the limbs. The disease causes permanent paralysis in one out of 200 infections. Currently, there is no cure for polio; it can only be prevented by immunisation.1.
European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine · 2020 · 5 citations
Ultrasonographic evaluation of the distal femoral and talar cartilage thicknesses in patients with poliomyelitis: a cross-sectional observational study
AbstractBACKGROUND: Sequelae of poliomyelitis, coupled with asymmetric impairment and weight-bearing, typically alter walking biomechanics which can be associated with the knee and ankle osteoarthritis. AIM: We aimed to investigate whether the distal femoral and talar cartilage thicknesses were different in patients with poliomyelitis. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: Outpatients, tertiary care center. POPULATION: Thirty-six patients (12 males, 24 females) with a history of poliomyelitis and 36 age, gender and body mass index similar healthy subjects (11 males, 25 females) were enrolled. Mean values for age, body mass index and age of the poliomyelitis onset were 70.2±4.6 years, 27.2±5.7 kg/m2, and 3.6±2.4 years. METHODS: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to assess pain. Lower limb muscle strengths were measured by manual muscle testing. The more affected side was identified according to the lower limb manual muscle testing. Bilateral distal femoral cartilage from the lateral femoral condyle, intercondylar area, medial femoral condyle and talar cartilage thicknesses were measured using ultrasound imaging. RESULTS: Among patients, the onset of poliomyelitis was at 3.6±2.4 years of age, and Functional Ambulation Category scores were 5 (3-5). VAS scores were similar between the sides affected more and less by poliomyelitis. All cartilage thicknesses (except the talar cartilage) of the patients were found to be thinner on the more affected side than the less affected side (all P<0.001). The thickness of talar cartilage was thinner compared to control subjects (P<0.001). Among the patients, quadriceps muscle strength was positively correlated with medial condyle (r=0.377, P=0.024), intercondylar area (r=0.399, P=0.016) and lateral condyle (r=0.363, P=0.030) thicknesses. Knee VAS scores were negatively correlated with talar cartilage thicknesses (r=-0.393, P=0.018). CONCLUSIONS: We found a thinning of the distal femoral condyle in the more affected paretic sides of poliomyelitis patients as compared to both those of less affected sides and those of healthy controls. Talar cartilages on both sides of the patients were thinner compared to control subjects. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: Our preliminary findings may contribute to the long-term management of patients with long-term poliomyelitis sequelae.
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.
