DeCure's autonomous Respiratory AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis — 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 modulePulmonary alveolar microlithiasis 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 pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis 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
A 2009 genome-wide SNP study of a single inbred patient with pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis identified a small intragenetic deletion in SLC34A2. The authors note that the high-density SNP array can identify a recessive disease gene even when only one inbred patient is analysed. No other genetic findings are reported in the abstracts.
Two cases from Sri Lanka, reported in 1975, were diagnosed on clinical and radiological grounds. One patient was in an early asymptomatic stage, the other was incapacitated. The disease is described as slowly progressive, leading to respiratory insufficiency with cyanosis, clubbing, and pulmonary hypertension. Chest radiographs show multiple nodules less than 1 mm in diameter scattered diffusely throughout the lung parenchyma.
A 2013 Vienna report states that the only known effective treatment for pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis is lung transplantation. Only 11 cases of lung transplantation for this disease had been performed at 10 different centres. A 2003 case report states there is no satisfactory therapy for the condition.
What is still missing is any controlled trial of a drug therapy, any evidence that the SLC34A2 deletion can be targeted pharmacologically, and any patient stratification beyond the distinction between asymptomatic and incapacitated states. Funding for drug development or repurposing screening in this ultra-rare disease is absent from the published record.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Thorax · 2009 · 32 citations · open access
A case of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis with an intragenetic deletion in SLC34A2 detected by a genome-wide SNP study
AbstractA case of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis occurring in an inbred family is presented. A genome-wide analysis of the patient's genomic DNA using a high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array revealed a small intragenetic mutation at SLC34A2. The results suggest that the high-density SNP array has the power to identify a recessive disease gene(s) even in the analysis of only a single inbred patient.
AbstractThe clinical and radiological features of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis have been reviewed and two of our cases, one in the early asymptomatic stage and the other in an incapacitated condition, have been added to cases reported. As far as we are aware, these are the first two cases of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis reported from Sri Lanka where the diagnosis has been established on clinical and radiological grounds.
German Medical Science (German Research Foundation) · 2013 · 2 citations · open access
A seldom indication for lung transplantation: pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis – the Vienna experience
AbstractObjective: Objective: Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a very rare lung disease caused by calcifications within the alveolar spaces. To date, the only known effective treatment is lung transplantation (LuTX). Only 11 cases of LuTX in PAM which were performed at 10 different centers have been[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL]
AbstractPulmonary alveolar microlithiasis is a rare disease of unknown etiology, characterized by intra-alveolar deposition of calcific concretions. Chest radiographic findings are characteristic, showing multiple nodules less than 1 mm diameter scattered diffusely throughout the lung parenchyma. Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis is a slowly progressive disease leading to respiratory insufficiency associated with cyanosis, clubbing, and pulmonary hypertension. There is no satisfactory therapy for this condition.
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.
