DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for preeclampsia — screening already-approved drugs against its 37-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease modulePreeclampsia maps to a 37-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 preeclampsia 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
nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 2 (NR3C2) — NR3C2 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 2,2-difluoro-3-hydroxypropyldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 4PF3 · 1.1 Å · ligand 6-[1-(2,2-difluoro-3-hydroxypropyl)-5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl]-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (HFN). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a retrospective cohort study of 49,812 births at a university teaching hospital between June 1986 and March 1997, 71 women had preeclampsia with onset before 30 completed weeks of gestation, an incidence of 1 in 682 total births. The mean interval from diagnosis to delivery was 14 days. There were no maternal deaths, but 21% of these women developed HELLP/ELLP syndrome, 13% had renal failure, 1.4% had eclampsia, and 15% had an abruption. Among the 71 pregnancies, 7% were terminated, 80% were delivered by caesarean section, and 5% required a classical incision. There were 16% intrauterine deaths, 12% neonatal deaths, and 72% neonatal survivors; at two-year follow-up, two of the survivors had known neurological impairment. The authors concluded that a conservative approach to early-onset preeclampsia yields good obstetric outcomes for most fetuses but carries significant maternal morbidity.
Several recent randomised trials from the late 1990s supported expectant management of severe preeclampsia remote from term in well-selected patients, but the authors of that review stated such management should be performed only at tertiary perinatal centres. A 2016 review noted that despite improved understanding of the pathogenesis of early-onset preeclampsia, no effective pharmacologic interventions were then available, and described multiple therapeutic approaches still under preclinical and clinical assessment.
A 2025 Mendelian randomisation study using genome-wide association data (7,212 preeclampsia cases, 194,266 controls) identified 81 potential causal factors for preeclampsia. Among the most novel findings were two druggable plasma proteins, Astacin-like metalloendopeptidase (ASTL) and Baculoviral IAP repeat-containing protein 3 (BIRC3), which showed strong causal evidence. The study also identified the gut microbiota genus Bifidobacterium as a potential protective factor, and validated causal roles for metabolic disturbances such as cysteine and guanidinoacetate, as well as dysfunctions in regulatory T and B cells. These findings are correlational and genetic, not interventional.
What remains missing is any completed randomised trial of a specific drug for early-onset preeclampsia that demonstrates improved maternal or fetal outcomes. The 2025 MR study identifies candidate targets but provides no clinical trial data, no dosing, and no safety information in pregnant women. Funding for definitive trials, appropriate patient stratification by gestational age and disease severity, and a trial design that can ethically test a drug against expectant management alone are all still absent.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Hypertension in Pregnancy · 2000 · 129 citations
MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY-ONSET PREECLAMPSIA
AbstractOBJECTIVE: To examine the management of early-onset preeclampsia and its maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of 49,812 births at a university teaching hospital between June 1986 and March 1997. Seventy-one women were identified with a diagnosis of preeclampsia with an onset at less than 30 completed weeks of gestation. RESULTS: The incidence of very preterm preeclampsia was 1 in 682 total births. The mean diagnosis to delivery interval (range) was 14 days (0-49 days). There were no maternal deaths. Fifteen women (21%) had developed HELLP/ELLP syndrome, 9 (13%) had renal failure, 1 (1.4%) had eclampsia, and 11 (15%) had an abruption. Five women (7%) had a termination of pregnancy, 57 (80%) were delivered by cesarean section, and 4 (5%) required a classical incision. There were 12 intrauterine deaths (16%), 9 neonatal deaths (12%), and 52 neonatal survivors (72%). Two of the survivors were known to have neurological impairment at the 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: A conservative approach to the management of early-onset preeclampsia results in a good obstetric outcome for the majority of fetuses, but this must be balanced against the significant risk of morbidity to the mothers.
Expectant Management of Severe Preeclampsia Remote from Term
AbstractTraditionally, preeclamptic women who meet accepted criteria for severe disease are delivered expeditiously, regardless of gestational age. Although delivery is always appropriate therapy for the mother, it may not be optimal for the fetus remote from term. Several recent randomized clinical trials support expectant management of severe preeclampsia remote from term in well-selected patients. We have described our rationale and guidelines for management, which we believe should be performed only at tertiary perinatal centers.
Novel Therapy for the Treatment of Early-Onset Preeclampsia
AbstractPreeclampsia is a multisystem disorder affecting 2% to 8% of pregnancies and a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Recent investigations have improved our understanding of the pathogenesis of this potentially life-threatening disease, especially in its early-onset form of manifestation. Despite these advances, therapeutic options are still limited and no effective pharmacologic interventions are currently available. Ongoing lines of research indicate some potential novel treatments targeting specific pathogenic steps. In this article we provide an updated overview of the multiple therapeutic approaches under preclinical and clinical assessment for the treatment of early-onset preeclampsia.
Journal of Health Population and Nutrition · 2025 · 2 citations · open access
Research trajectory of the mechanism of preeclampsia: a scientometric perspective
AbstractOBJECTIVE: This study aims to conduct a scientometric analysis on the research history and emerging trends of the pathogenesis of preeclampsia using CiteSpace and VOSviewer software. The goal is to provide guidance for future research and clinical practice. METHODS: The core collection database of Web of Science was searched for research literature on the mechanism of preeclampsia from January 1980 to March 2024. CiteSpace6. 1. R6, 5. 7. R5 (64-bit), and VOSviewer1.6.19 software were used for visual analysis, including networks of keywords, countries, authors, institutions, funds, and fields. RESULTS: A total of 4989 documents were analyzed in this study. The number of published articles has shown a consistent increase from 1990 to 2022, indicating that this topic remains a significant area of research. The countries, institutions, authors, journals, and fields that contributed the most articles include the USA, University of Mississippi, Lamarca, Babbette, Placenta, and the field of OBSTETRICS and GYNECOLOGY. Keyword clustering and emergence analysis identified 7 clusters, while clustering and emergence analysis of cited documents identified 14 clusters. These analyses revealed that current research on the mechanism of preeclampsia primarily focuses on placental ischemia and hypoxia, inflammatory response and immune disorders, angiogenic factor imbalance, abnormal epigenetic modifications, and intestinal flora imbalance. CONCLUSIONS: Research on the mechanisms of preeclampsia is rapidly advancing. Given the presence of multiple mechanisms and pathways, further collaborative research is essential to guide clinical treatment effectively and enhance maternal and child outcomes.
International Journal of Women s Health · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
Genetically Predicted Causal Risk Factors for Preeclampsia: A Comprehensive Mendelian Randomization Study
AbstractBackground: Preeclampsia is a complex hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, significantly impacting maternal and fetal health worldwide. Despite extensive research, its pathogenesis, involving inflammatory, immune, microbiological, and metabolic factors, requires comprehensive elucidation. Methods: This study applied Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate causal relationships between multi-omics traits and the risk of preeclampsia. The genome-wide association studies (GWAS) datasets used consisted of immune cells ( N = 3757), inflammatory factors ( N = 14,824), gut microbiota ( N = 7738), circulating metabolites ( N 1 = 7824, N 2 = 8299), plasma proteins ( N = 3301), and preeclampsia (7212 cases, 194,266 controls). The inverse variance-weighted method was used in the main analysis, and the weighted median, weighted mode, and MR Egger regression were used in sensitivity analyses. Results: Our analysis identified 81 potential causal factors for preeclampsia. Among the most novel and clinically significant findings were several druggable plasma proteins, including Astacin-like metalloendopeptidase (ASTL) and Baculoviral IAP repeat-containing protein 3 (BIRC3), which exhibited strong causal evidence. Furthermore, we identified specific gut microbiota genera, notably Bifidobacterium , as potential protective factors. We also validated the causal roles of key metabolic disturbances, like cysteine and guanidinoacetate, and dysfunctions in specific immune cell populations, particularly regulatory T and B cells. Conclusion: These findings highlight the intricate interplay of immune, inflammatory, microbiological, metabolic, and protein factors in preeclampsia, suggesting novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Further research is warranted to explore these associations in detail. Keywords: causality, gut microbiome, inflammatory factor, Mendelian randomization, metabolome, multi-omics, preeclampsia
AbstractPreeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterised by elevated blood pressure after 20 weeks of gestation accompanied by impairment to other organs such as kidneys and liver. It is a progressive disease and if left untreated may lead to catastrophic outcomes to both the mother and baby including induced preterm birth. The only definitive treatment is delivery regardless of the age of the pregnancy. Hence, there is an urgent need to find a more effective treatment to delay the disease progress in order to prolong the pregnancy. The aim of this project is to unfold the potentials of hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug in the treatment of preeclampsia.
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.
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