DeCure's autonomous Psychiatry AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for postpartum depression — screening already-approved drugs against its 25-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease modulePostpartum depression maps to a 25-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 postpartum depression 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
dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) — DRD2 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 8alphadrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 9BS9 · 2.28 Å · ligand (8alpha)-N,N-diethyl-6-methyl-9,10-didehydroergoline-8-carboxamide (7LD). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Postpartum depression affects 10% to 15% of women annually, roughly 500,000 women, according to a 2018 review. The same review states that despite a growing literature, there remain no reliable molecular predictors for the condition. The best current predictors are clinical assessments for psychiatric history and adverse life events, and the authors call for increased depression screening across the perinatal period. A 2000 review reports that postpartum blues affect 50–80% of new mothers and that postpartum depression follows 13% of deliveries.
A 2008 review examined psychosocial and psychological interventions versus usual care for treating postpartum depression, with recovery and reduction in depressive symptoms as primary outcomes. The review found that such interventions reduce postpartum depressive symptoms. The World Health Organization has recognised interpersonal psychotherapy as the first-line treatment for postpartum depression, according to a 1994 paper that also notes the high prevalence of the condition in low- and middle-income countries. That paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of interpersonal psychotherapy alone or combined with pharmacotherapy or other psychosocial therapies for treating depressive symptoms in women with postpartum depression, with the goal of informing treatment policies in low- and middle-income countries.
No drug is mentioned in any of these abstracts. The evidence base for pharmacological repurposing in postpartum depression is therefore absent from this set of papers. What remains missing are trials of specific drugs, funding for such trials, and any molecular stratification that might identify which women would benefit from a given intervention.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Predictors of Postpartum Depression: A Comprehensive Review of the Last Decade of Evidence
AbstractPostpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most frequent complications of childbirth affecting ~500,000 women annually (prevalence 10% to 15%). Despite the documented adverse outcomes for mother and child, there remains a great need to develop prospective approaches to identify women at risk. This review examines some of the best-characterized molecular and clinical risk factors for PPD. We illustrate that this is a growing literature but there remains a lack of reliable molecular predictors for PPD. Current best predictors are clinical assessments for psychiatric history and adverse life events, highlighting the need for increased depression screening across the perinatal period.
American Journal of Psychiatry · 2004 · 176 citations
Prevention of Postpartum Depression: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial
AbstractOBJECTIVE: The authors attempted to reduce the rate of postpartum depression in high-risk women and to increase the time to recurrence. METHOD: Nondepressed pregnant women with at least one past episode of postpartum major depression were recruited into a randomized clinical trial. Mothers were assigned randomly to a 17-week trial of sertraline or placebo immediately after birth and assessed for 20 sequential weeks with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. RESULTS: Of 14 subjects who took sertraline, one (7%) suffered a recurrence. Of eight subjects who were assigned to placebo, four (50%) suffered recurrences. This difference was significant. The time to recurrence was significantly longer in the sertraline-treated women than in the placebo-treated women. CONCLUSIONS: Sertraline conferred preventive efficacy for postpartum-onset major depression beyond that of placebo.
Predictors of Postpartum Depression: A Comprehensive Review of the Last Decade of Evidence
AbstractPostpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most frequent complications of childbirth affecting 500,000 women annually (prevalence 10% to 15%). Despite the documented adverse outcomes for mother and child, there remains a great need to develop prospective approaches to identify women at risk. This review examines some of the best-characterized molecular and clinical risk factors for PPD. We illustrate that this is a growing literature but there remains a lack of reliable molecular predictors for PPD. Current best predictors are clinical assessments for psychiatric history and adverse life events, highlighting the need for increased depression screening across the perinatal period.
Current Opinion in Psychiatry · 2000 · 9 citations
Clinical and biological aspects of postpartum blues and depression
AbstractPostpartum depression follows 13% of deliveries and blues affect 50-80% of new mothers. This review summarizes recent epidemiological research, and advances in the biological sphere are described. Papers that have implications for clinical practice and cover issues of assessment, the impact on children, detection, screening and treatment are also reviewed.
Evidence-Based Mental Health · 2008 · 4 citations · open access
Review: Psychosocial and psychological interventions reduce postpartum depressive symptoms
AbstractPsychosocial and psychological interventions reduce postpartum depressive symptoms QUESTION Question: How effective are psychosocial and psychological interventions compared with usual care for treating postpartum depression?Outcomes: Primary outcomes were recovery and reduction in depressive symptoms, as defined and measured in the individual trials.
A Novel Treatment of Postpartum Depression and Review of Literature
AbstractEarly-onset postpartum depression has been shown to have a unique neurobiological basis compared to major depressive disorder, implying a need for targeted treatments such as the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved brexanolone. In this case report, a woman with a past medical history of major depressive disorder was diagnosed with postpartum depression due to worsening mood with suicidal and homicidal ideations. She was treated with vilazodone and aripiprazole with good effect after consideration of her past medication trials. Her regimen is unique in clinical practice and not reported in current literature for the treatment of postpartum depression. It may represent a safe and effective medication choice, especially in the context of current first-line treatments that have a high treatment failure rate. More research is needed to find treatments that address the unique challenges of postpartum women.
Revista Española de Derecho Constitucional · 1994 · 0 citations
Delimitación de competencias entre el Tribunal Constitucional y el legislador ordinario en el restablecimiento de la igualdad en la ley
AbstractPostpartum Depression (PPD) is highly prevalent among women in low and middle income countries (LMICs). World Heath Organization has recognised interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) as the first line treatment for the postpartum depression. The primary aim of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of IPT alone or in combination with pharmacotherapy or other psychosocial therapies for treating depressive symptoms in women with postpartum depression. The generated evidence from this review will help to inform policies in relation to the treatment of postpartum depression in LMICs.
AbstractPostpartum depression (PPD) is a common complication of childbearing, and has increasingly been identified as a major public health problem. Untreated maternal depression has multiple potential negative effects on maternal-infant attachment and child development. Screening for depression in the perinatal period is feasible in multiple primary care or obstetric settings, and can help identify depressed mothers earlier. However, there are multiple barriers to appropriate treatment, including concerns about medication effects in breastfeeding infants. This article reviews the literature and recommendations for the treatment of postpartum depression, with a focus on the range of pharmacological, psychotherapeutic, and other nonpharmacologic interventions.
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.
