DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for pontocerebellar hypoplasia, type 1E — screening already-approved drugs against its 1-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease modulePontocerebellar hypoplasia, type 1E maps to a 1-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 pontocerebellar hypoplasia, type 1e 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.
What the evidence adds up to
Pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 1E is not directly studied in any of the provided abstracts. The abstracts describe pontocerebellar hypoplasia as a group of autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorders with prenatal onset, characterised by cerebellar hypoplasia and variable atrophy of the cerebellum and ventral pons. In a cohort of 169 patients from 141 families, 106 tested positive for mutations in TSEN genes or RARS2, and a strong correlation was found between TSEN54 mutations and a dragonfly-like cerebellar pattern on MRI, where the cerebellar hemispheres are flat and severely reduced while the vermis is relatively spared. Nonsense or splice site mutations in TSEN54 are associated with a more severe phenotype including perinatal symptoms, ventilator dependency and early death.
The most reported types of pontocerebellar hypoplasia are types 1, 2 and 6, with mutations in TSEN54, RARS2, EXOSC3 and AMPD2 being the most frequently reported pathological mutations. Type 1 is characterised by hypoplasia of the pons and cerebellum associated with degeneration of motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord. One case report describes a 4-year-old female with severe psychomotor retardation, microcephaly, generalised hypotonia, muscle hypotrophy, contractions in all four limbs, absent stretch reflexes and neonatal-onset epilepsy; MRI showed pontocerebellar hypoplasia, and electroneuromyography was compatible with axonal neuropathy with neurogenic muscular atrophy on muscle biopsy. A separate case report describes a male infant diagnosed with type 1D pontocerebellar hypoplasia due to EXOSC9 gene alteration, born at 36 weeks and 6 days with a head circumference of 33.8 cm.
No abstract mentions pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 1E specifically, nor any drug treatment or intervention for any subtype. The diagnosis of pontocerebellar hypoplasia generally conveys severe developmental delay, epilepsy and neurodegeneration in childhood. What remains missing for any potential therapeutic development is any mention of clinical trials, funding for research into specific subtypes such as type 1E, or patient stratification strategies that might distinguish type 1E from the broader group.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Brain · 2010 · 225 citations · open access
Clinical, neuroradiological and genetic findings in pontocerebellar hypoplasia
AbstractPontocerebellar hypoplasia is a group of autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorders with prenatal onset. The common characteristics are cerebellar hypoplasia with variable atrophy of the cerebellum and the ventral pons. Supratentorial involvement is reflected by variable neocortical atrophy, ventriculomegaly and microcephaly. Mutations in the transfer RNA splicing endonuclease subunit genes (TSEN54, TSEN2, TSEN34) were found to be associated with pontocerebellar hypoplasia types 2 and 4. Mutations in the mitochondrial transfer RNA arginyl synthetase gene (RARS2) were associated with pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 6. We studied a cohort of 169 patients from 141 families for mutations in these genes, of whom 106 patients tested positive for mutations in one of the TSEN genes or the RARS2 gene. In order to delineate the neuroradiological and clinical phenotype of patients with mutations in these genes, we compared this group with 63 patients suspected of pontocerebellar hypoplasia who were negative on mutation analysis. We found a strong correlation (P < 0.0005) between TSEN54 mutations and a dragonfly-like cerebellar pattern on magnetic resonance imaging, in which the cerebellar hemispheres are flat and severely reduced in size and the vermis is relatively spared. Mutations in TSEN54 are clinically associated with dyskinesia and/or dystonia and variable degrees of spasticity, in some cases with pure generalized spasticity. Nonsense or splice site mutations in TSEN54 are associated with a more severe phenotype of more perinatal symptoms, ventilator dependency and early death. In addition, we present ten new mutations in TSEN54, TSEN2 and RARS2. Furthermore, we show that pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 1 together with elevated cerebrospinal fluid lactate may be caused by RARS2 mutations.
American Journal of Medical Genetics Part C Seminars in Medical Genetics · 2014 · 93 citations
Pontocerebellar hypoplasia
AbstractPontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of autosomal recessively inherited neurodevelopmental disorders. Following the rapidly increasing number of genes identified in different subtypes, the clinical spectrum has been broadened to completely different neurological phenotypes. In this review we will address the clinical picture, neuroradiological, pathoanatomic, and genetic findings in the currently known PCH subtypes.
Journal of Child Neurology · 2013 · 19 citations · open access
Novel Mutations in <i>TSEN54</i> in Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia Type 2
AbstractPontocerebellar hypoplasias represent a group of neurodegenerative autosomal recessive disorders characterized by hypoplasia/atrophy of the cerebellum, hypoplastic ventral pons, and microcephaly and associated with various clinical features. Pontocerebellar hypolasia type 2 is the most common form, and different mutations in genes encoding subunits of the transfer ribonucleic acid (RNA)-splicing endonuclease (TSEN) complex were identified in patients. The authors report clinical, imaging, and molecular studies in 2 unrelated patients with different clinical pictures of the pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 2 spectrum and novel mutations in TSEN54, aiming to further define the clinical spectrum of the disease and possible indicators of more favorable progression. They identified a novel missense mutation c.355T>G/p.Y119D in compound heterozygosity with the "common" c.919G>T/p.A307S (patient 1) and a novel homozygous c.7ins6(CCGGAG)/p.E2-P3insPE variant (patient 2). An expanded array of mutations might contribute in defining possible differences in severity and phenotype-genotype correlations.
Brain Communications · 2025 · 4 citations · open access
Pontocerebellar hypoplasia: a review from 1912 to 2022
AbstractAbstract Pontocerebellar hypoplasia is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that results from differences in formation and function of the pons, cerebellum and cerebrum. It can be diagnosed prenatally or postnatally with a combination of clinical, neuroimaging and genetic data obtained over time. The diagnosis of pontocerebellar hypoplasia usually portends severe developmental delay, epilepsy and/or neurodegeneration in childhood. Here we perform a comprehensive review with the primary goal of evaluating published evidence addressing the clinical and genetic features of pontocerebellar hypoplasia by type and subtype. Secondly, we summarize neurodiagnostic patterns of pontocerebellar hypoplasia and demonstrate its spectrum. Finally, we provide recommendations in diagnosis, prognosis and management for the neurologist. To address these goals, we performed an extensive review of published literature from 1912 to 2022. We identified 191 publications by combining search results from PubMed, OMIM and cross-referenced bibliographies. Publications on developmental neuroanatomy, not pertaining to pontocerebellar hypoplasia or published in a foreign language were excluded. We performed both qualitative (1912–1993) and quantitative (1993–2022) analyses to understand the current classification of this disease as it pertains to genetic and neurodiagnostic features of pontocerebellar hypoplasia by type and subtype. Our review shows that the most reported types of pontocerebellar hypoplasia are 1, 2 and 6; less frequently described are 3, 4 and 9. Very few cases are described for all other subsequent pontocerebellar hypoplasia types. Mutations in TSEN54, RARS2, EXOSC3 and AMPD2 (genes that regulate RNA processing and basic cellular metabolism) are the most frequently reported pathological mutations in pontocerebellar hypoplasia. The neuroradiographic features of pontocerebellar hypoplasia are complex and evolve over time, affecting the pons, cerebellum, vermis, cortex and cerebral white matter. In conclusion, pontocerebellar hypoplasia is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder, often the result of genetic dysfunction in basic neural metabolism. The diagnosis conveys significant implications for the affected individual and their families and requires a combination of clinical, neuroradiographic, and genetic testing to best inform type/subtype categorization of pontocerebellar hypoplasia.
Hipoplasia pontocerebelosa tipo 1: aportación de un caso
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Pontocerebellar hypoplasias constitute a group of hereditary neurodegenerative disorders of uncertain aetiopathogenesis. They have been reported as being associated with deficiencies of complexes in the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) and with congenital disorders of glycosylation. On the basis of clinical and neuropathological criteria, two phenotypes can be distinguished in this condition. Pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 1 is characterised by hypoplasia of the pons and the cerebellum associated with the degeneration of the motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord. CASE REPORT: A 4-year-old female with symptoms of severe psychomotor retardation associated with microcephaly, important generalised hypotonia, muscle hypotrophy, contractions in the four limbs, absence of stretch reflex and epilepsy with onset in the neonatal period. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed pontocerebellar hypoplasia. An electroneuromyography showed a trace that was compatible with axonal neuropathy and a biopsy of the deltoid muscle revealed the existence of neurogenic muscular atrophy. In the MRC study conducted in muscle homogenate and in skin fibroblasts, complex IV values were found to be at the lower limits of what could be considered to be normal levels. Results of the genetic study for spinal muscular atrophy were negative. CONCLUSIONS: The case reported here could be included as a case of pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 1. MRC studies can be of interest in cases of pontocerebellar hypoplasia in order to explain the role it plays in this disorder.
Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria · 2023 · 0 citations · open access
Case report: pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 1D
AbstractCase presentation: This report aims to describe the case of a patient with a rare diagnosis of type 1D pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH1D), resulting from the alteration of the EXOSC9 gene. G. T. S. D. S., male, 1 year and 2 months old, fruit of unplanned pregnancy of non-consanguineous parents. Prenatal care was complete. The patient was born by vaginal delivery without complications, with 36 weeks and 6 days of gestational age, and with the following measurements: height = 44.5 cm; weight = 2,660 kg; head circumference = 33.8 cm.
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.
