DeCure's autonomous Immuno AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for psoriatic arthritis — screening already-approved drugs against its 44-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease modulePsoriatic arthritis maps to a 44-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 psoriatic arthritis 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
dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) — DHFR 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 ndpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 4M6J · 1.201 Å · ligand NADPH DIHYDRO-NICOTINAMIDE-ADENINE-DINUCLEOTIDE PHOSPHATE (NDP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory arthropathy associated with psoriasis and characterised by the absence of rheumatoid factor. Any form of psoriasis can be complicated by joint inflammation. Four groups have been identified: pauciarticular psoriatic arthritis, psoriatic spondylitis, symmetrical polyarticular psoriatic arthritis and arthritis mutilans. The aetiology remains unclear; genetic, immunologic and environmental factors are thought to be important. The pathogenic link between skin and joint disease still remains to be fully established, and the relationship between the two conditions in terms of disease activity is somewhat loose.
Despite a wide range of treatments, including biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and targeted synthetic DMARDs, only about one third of patients with psoriatic arthritis achieve remission and/or minimal disease activity. Marked clinical heterogeneity and frequent comorbidities lead to multiple biologics switching and contribute to pharmacoresistance. There is a paucity of evidence for most conventional agents used to treat psoriatic arthritis, with many being used on the basis of experience in rheumatoid arthritis. For patients with progressive forms of arthritis who may benefit from newer biological therapies, the continued use of conventional therapy needs ever increasing scrutiny.
The advent of biologics and later targeted synthetic DMARDs revolutionised therapy, with achievement of significantly better clinical and radiographic outcomes. Several drugs and treatment approaches are currently being tested in clinical trials at different phases. Despite this success, there are still various challenges and unmet needs, reflected by difficult-to-treat disease course, secondary failure of therapy, and lack of consensus on accepted treatment withdrawal protocols. Current concepts define “difficult-to-treat” PsA (D2T PsA) and “complex-to-manage” PsA (C2M PsA), and factors associated with treatment resistance are being analysed.
What is still missing is a full understanding of the interplay between skin and joint disease and the genetic and environmental factors that predispose to entheseal and joint inflammation in patients with psoriasis. Clinically useful screening and prognostic tools for early psoriatic arthritis are still being developed. The evidence base for conventional agents remains thin, and no consensus exists on treatment withdrawal protocols. Money and trial designs that address the marked clinical heterogeneity and pharmacoresistance in the one-third of patients who do not achieve remission are needed, as is better patient stratification to predict which individuals will respond to which therapy.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Dermatology · 2009 · 10 citations
Current Concepts in Psoriatic Arthritis
AbstractPsoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory arthropathy associated with psoriasis and characterized by absence of rheumatoid factor. Any form of psoriasis can be complicated by joint inflammation. Four groups have been identified: pauciarticular psoriatic arthritis, psoriatic spondylitis, symmetrical polyarticular psoriatic arthritis and arthritis mutilans. The etiology of psoriatic arthritis remains unclear. Genetic, immunologic and environmental factors are thought to be important in the development of the disease. The role of cytokines and adhesion molecules in the mechanism of joint destruction is highlighted, and recent therapeutic strategies are discussed.
Updates on Recent Advances in the Therapy of Adult Psoriatic Disease
AbstractPsoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a heterogeneous inflammatory disease with various joint and skin manifestations and multiple associated comorbidities. The management of PsA is important not only in controlling disease activity and preventing subsequent damage but also in improving the quality of life and reducing mortality. Over the years, numerous drugs have been introduced into the therapeutic armamentarium of the disease. While non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) have contributed to management, it was not until the advent of biologics (and later on targeted synthetic DMARDs) that therapy was revolutionized, with the achievement of significantly better clinical and radiographic outcomes. Several drugs and treatment approaches are currently being tested in clinical trials at different phases. Despite all the success, there are still various challenges and unmet needs in the field of PsA, reflected by difficult-to-treat disease course, secondary failure of therapy, and lack of consensus on accepted treatment withdrawal protocols, among others. In this mini-review, we have discussed the most recent advances in the therapy of psoriatic disease, with a particular focus on phase III studies completed (or ongoing) since 2020. We also mentioned the challenges and unmet needs in our clinical practice, which we expect current and future research to provide answers to.
Determinants of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis
AbstractPsoriatic arthritis is a multigenic immunological disease that involves synovial tissue, entheseal sites and skin, and that may result in significant structural damage. Although there has been some controversy regarding psoriatic arthritis as a clinical entity, it is now clear that there is a specific form of arthritis linked to psoriasis. However, the pathogenic link between skin and joint disease still remains to be fully established, and the relationship between the two conditions in terms of disease activity is somewhat loose. As psoriatic arthritis usually postdates psoriasis, and it can also be a potentially disabling disease, it is crucial to identify which factors may help in predicting arthritis development in patients with psoriasis. Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are likely the result of complex interactions between genetic, immunological and environmental elements; therefore, in the present article we will review which of these elements may help in establishing a strategy aimed at an early recognition of arthritis among patients with psoriasis.
CONVENTIONAL THERAPY OF PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: EVIDENCE-BASED REVIEW
AbstractPsoriatic arthritis is a heterogeneous condition, the pattern of which is determined by any combination of pathology affecting peripheral joints, the enthesis and the spine. There is a paucity of evidence for most of the conventional agents used to treat psoriatic arthritis, with many of them being used on the basis of experience in rheumatoid arthritis. Herein, we summarise the evidence compiled relating to effectiveness of treatment for various manifestation of PsA. For those patients with progressive forms of arthritis who may benefit from intervention of newer biological therapies, the continued use of conventional therapy needs ever increasing scrutiny.
Modern Rheumatology Journal · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
Current view on therapy resistance in psoriatic arthritis: a literature review
AbstractDespite using a wide range of treatments, including biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and targeted synthetic DMARDs only about one third of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) achieve remission and/or minimal disease activity. Marked clinical heterogeneity and frequent comorbidities lead to multiple biologics switching and contribute to pharmacoresistance. This review summarizes current concepts and definitions of “difficult-to-treat” PsA (D2T PsA) and “complex-to-manage” PsA (C2M PsA), analyzes factors associated with treatment resistance, and outlines promising therapeutic directions for this patient population.
Oxford University Press eBooks · 2014 · 0 citations
The future
Abstract• Over the last two decades psoriatic arthritis has been better defined and great strides have been made in defining the disease and understanding its pathogenesis• The interplay between skin and joint disease and the genetic and environmental factors that predispose to the development of entheseal and joint inflammation in patients with psoriasis needs to be better understood• Clinically useful screening and prognostic tools for early psoriatic arthritis are being developed• New therapeutic agents that target other components of the inflammatory response are being investigated.
Global Rheumatology · 2022 · 0 citations · open access
New treatment alternatives in ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis
AbstractIn psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis, there is still room for new drugs, with different mechanisms of action, that allow better personalization of treatment. The objective of this review is to facilitate the clinician's decision to use tofacitinib, upadacitinib, or guselkumab, new treatment alternatives within the wide variety of drugs currently available
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.
