DeCure's autonomous Dermatology AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for psoriasis 14, pustular — screening already-approved drugs against its 2-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease modulePsoriasis 14, pustular maps to a 2-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 psoriasis 14, pustular 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
interleukin 36 receptor antagonist (IL36RN) — IL36RN 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 apo structuredrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 13BS · 3.1 Å · ligand none (apo structure). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2014 systematic review of systemic treatments for paediatric pustular psoriasis found only 24 patients in the literature, 22 with generalised disease. Mean age at presentation was 6.3 years. Half the cases required more than one intervention. Acitretin, cyclosporine, and methotrexate were the most common therapies and appeared to control generalised pustular psoriasis within three months of initiation, but the review explicitly states that information on long-term follow-up is lacking and that physicians may encounter difficulties after discontinuing or tapering medication. A 2017 case report describes a 13-year-old girl who responded to wet wrap therapy and cyclosporine bridged to etanercept, but this is a single patient.
A 2001 report on four adults with severe pustular, erythrodermic, or plaque psoriasis found that a combination of acitretin and bath PUVA improved psoriasis by 90% or more after four weeks of outpatient treatment, with no relapse at three months and no significant side-effects. A 1982 study of 46 adults on long-term PUVA for severe psoriasis, followed for up to six and a half years, detected no ocular side-effects attributable to the photochemotherapy. A 2025 case report describes a six-year-old boy with generalised pustular psoriasis treated with methotrexate, folic acid, topical steroids, calcipotriol, emollients, and antihistamines; the authors conclude that a personalised approach is needed but provide no quantitative outcome data beyond the diagnosis.
A 2011 review of pustular psoriasis states that no consensus exists on the hierarchy of therapies. It notes that localised forms may be treated with topical or light therapies but may require systemic drugs, and that generalised forms most inevitably require aggressive systemic therapies because of increased morbidity and mortality. The review also lists precipitating factors including drug withdrawal, topical irritation, infection, pregnancy, and sunburn, and stresses that these must be eliminated. Across all these reports, the evidence base remains thin: no randomised trials, no head-to-head comparisons, no long-term safety or efficacy data for any drug in paediatric pustular psoriasis, and no validated stratification of patients by genetic subtype or trigger.
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 Dermatology · 1999 · 94 citations
Treatments of Generalized Pustular Psoriasis: A Multicenter Study in Japan
AbstractThis study analyzed data from treatments of 385 cases of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) from 325 hospitals in Japan. Retinoid treatment was effective in 84.1% of patients, methotrexate in 76.2%, cyclosporine in 71.2%, oral PUVA therapy in 45.7%, and tonsillectomy in 16.7%. Short-term therapy with systemic corticosteroid for GPP during only the phase with severe systemic clinical findings may be also effective (75.4%). However, these treatments for GPP each differed in clinical effects, prognosis, and side effects. These findings may be useful in creating guidelines for treatment of generalized pustular psoriasis. Further studies based on these specific clinical effects are necessary.
A Systematic Review of Systemic Medications for Pustular Psoriasis in Pediatrics
AbstractThere is lack of information and evidence-based studies on the treatment of pediatric pustular psoriasis. Previous reports have emphasized the limitations of the existing data and encouraged the exploration of therapy optimization through more structured research. The objective of the current study was to perform a systematic review of systemic interventions for pediatric pustular psoriasis with an emphasis on clinical response and treatment outcomes. A systematic literature search was conducted using the PubMed and Embase databases from 1982 to 2012. Of 632 references identified, 14 met our inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. A cohort of eight patients from the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada, was also included. Information was limited to systemic treatments in children. Only English- and Spanish-language articles were included. Information was gathered from 24 patients, 22 of whom (92%) presented with generalized pustular psoriasis and 2 (8%) with acral distribution. The mean age at presentation was 6.3 ± 4.9 years. More than one intervention was required in 12 (50%) cases. The most common therapies used for generalized pustular psoriasis were acitretin, cyclosporine, and methotrexate. We identified that there is lack of information regarding long-term response to systemic drugs because the data were focused on treatment initiation. Treatment of pustular psoriasis in pediatrics is challenging. Although acitretin, methotrexate, and cyclosporine seem to control generalized pustular psoriasis within 3 months of therapy initiation, information on long-term follow-up is lacking. Furthermore, physicians may encounter difficulties after discontinuing or tapering medications.
Ophthalmological study of patients undergoing long-term PUVA therapy
AbstractIn the present study 46 patients with severe psoriasis maintained on long-term PUVA therapy have been followed up to 6 1/2 years after the initiation of treatment. Repeated ophthalmological examinations were performed in order to detect any early sign of lens changes. No ocular side effects attributed to the photochemotherapy were revealed during this period. Continued use of appropriate eye shielding is recommended and also routines to remind patients to actually wear their protective glasses.
Pediatric pustular psoriasis responsive to cyclosporine bridged to etanercept: A treatment approach
AbstractPustular psoriasis occurs rarely in children but can present with acute toxicity requiring inpatient admission. For the best approach, medical providers should have an evidence based and systematic treatment algorithm in their armamentarium. Toillustrate this point, we describe a 13-year-old girl who was admitted with generalized pustular psoriasis and who responded dramatically to "wet wrap" therapy and cyclosporine bridged to etanercept. Using this case example, we highlight the three most important considerations in any patient with new onset pustularpsoriasis: avoidance of disease complications, acute "rescue" therapy, and maintenance therapy.
Pustular Psoriasis: A Practical Review of the Literature
AbstractPsoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition linked to a dysregulation of the immune system that results clinically in well-circumscribed erythematous plaques with a silvery scale. In certain instances, the disease may manifest as a localized or generalized pustular variant that runs a more severe course and requires more diligent treatments. Precipitating factors influencing both the local and generalized forms include various drugs or withdrawal of certain drugs, irritation from topical therapy, infection, pregnancy, and sunburn. Many treatments for the pustular variant of psoriasis have been described in the literature, but no consensus statements have been published regarding the correct hierarchy of therapies to follow. Localized forms may be treated with topical or light therapies but may require systemic medications. Generalized forms most inevitably require aggressive systemic therapies offering a quick therapeutic response because of their increased morbidity and mortality. In all cases, the factors that are precipitating the disease must be eliminated. We present a review of the literature on the available treatments for pustular psoriasis.
International cataloguing and bibliographic control · 2001 · 1 citations
Transforming the Swaziland National Bibliography (SNB): Visions of Currency, Access, Coverage and Quality.
AbstractWe report four patients with severe erythrodermic, pustular psoriasis, or plaque-type psoriasis, who were treated with a combination of acitretin and bath PUVA. After 4 weeks out-patient treatment, the psoriasis in all patients had improved by > or = 90%. No patient had relapsed when reviewed at 3 months. No significant side-effects were seen with the combined retinoid/bath PUVA treatment. Acitretin and bath PUVA may be safely combined for the treatment of severe psoriasis.
Journal of Dermatological Treatment · 1994 · 1 citations
Evaluation of the effectiveness of various pustular psoriasis treatments in 90 cases
AbstractThe treatment of 90 cases of generalized pustular psoriasis (including impetigo herpetiformis and acrodermatitis continua) in the period from 1982 to 1992 was evaluated. A combination of Lei-Gong-Teng (Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F), dapsone and antibiotic therapy is recommended for the treatment of mild cases of this disease, and etretinate, hydroxyurea, methotrexate and chloromycetin were effective for severe cases. Thiamphenicol produced poor results. It is recommended that corticosteroids be avoided except when routine methods are ineffective and the condition of the patient is life-threatening.
Boletín Médico del Hospital Infantil de México · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
Psoriasis pustulosa generalizada: una entidad poco frecuente en pediatría
AbstractBackground: Generalized pustular psoriasis is a rare and severe systemic inflammatory disease characterized by skin erythema and visible sterile pustules. Associated with hereditary and external factors, it can be life-threatening and requires specialized diagnosis and treatment. Clinical case: A 6-year-old male with disseminated dermatosis of 7 months evolution, initially appearing in the retroauricular region with erythematous scaly plaques and pustular lesions, spreading to various body segments, accompanied by intense pruritus, fever, and tachycardia. Histopathological examination reported psoriasiform dermatitis with lymphocytes, plasma cell aggregates, and neutrophils forming microabscesses in the stratum corneum, compatible with a diagnosis of pustular psoriasis. Treatment included methotrexate at 12 mg/m²/week, folic acid, 1% methylprednisolone aceponate cream, 0.005% calcipotriol, urea-based emollient at 10%, and antihistamines. Conclusions: Generalized pustular psoriasis in pediatrics requires comprehensive care, considering not only dermatological aspects but also psychosocial factors. Successful management of pediatric cases, as described, highlights the importance of a personalized approach tailored to each patient's needs to achieve long-term satisfactory outcomes.
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.
