DeCure's autonomous Nephrology AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for renal glycosuria — 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 moduleRenal glycosuria 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 renal glycosuria 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
solute carrier family 5 member 1 (SLC5A1) — SLC5A1 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 y01drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 7SLA · 3.15 Å · ligand CHOLESTEROL HEMISUCCINATE (Y01). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a 1943 study of 45,650 consecutive selectees and volunteers aged 18 to 45 at the Boston Induction Center, glycosuria was found in 0.8% (367 cases). Among those, 33 cases were classified as renal glycosuria, compared to 208 cases of diabetes mellitus and 126 cases of transient glycosuria. The authors noted that renal glycosuria was regarded as a rare disorder, citing Joslin and associates who found 62 cases among 18,000 cases of mellituria, and Fitz who reported the diagnosis of renal diabetes only 36 times over a decade at two major hospitals.
A 2008 case report described a 23-year-old man with membranous glomerulopathy, nephrotic syndrome, and renal glycosuria with depressed tubular maximum for glucose absorption. Electron microscopy showed glycogen deposition in renal tubular cells, which the authors stated was the first demonstration of such glycogen deposition attributable to renal glycosuria.
A 2024 study reviewed 50 patients with PLA2R-related membranous nephropathy and renal glycosuria, finding a prevalence of 2.3% among all PLA2R-related MN patients. Compared to matched controls without renal glycosuria, these patients had greater proteinuria, lower eGFR, and higher use of diuretics, anticoagulants, antibiotics, traditional Chinese medicine, and tacrolimus within three months before biopsy. Histologically, they showed more severe pathological stages, acute and chronic tubulointerstitial lesions, and tubulointerstitial inflammation. Among 10 patients treated with rituximab, proteinuria remission was maintained in 6 (60%), and urine glucose remission was achieved in 5 of those 6 (83.3%). Multivariate Cox regression identified renal glycosuria and age over 50 as independent risk factors for end-stage renal disease or a 30% reduction in eGFR.
What is still missing is prospective data on whether avoiding nephrotoxic drugs or using rituximab earlier changes outcomes in renal glycosuria associated with membranous nephropathy. No trial has tested any drug specifically for isolated renal glycosuria, and the condition’s natural history in the absence of glomerular disease remains poorly characterised. Patient stratification by underlying cause and long-term follow-up studies are lacking.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
JAMA · 1943 · 16 citations
RENAL GLYCOSURIA IN SELECTEES AND VOLUNTEERS
AbstractA study of glycosuria was made on 45,650 consecutive selectees and volunteers aged 18 to 45 years who appeared for final examinations at the Boston Induction Center prior to army induction. The incidence of glycosuria in this group was 0.8 per cent, or 367 cases. The glycosurias were classified into three groups; there were (<i>a</i>) 208 cases of diabetes mellitus, (<i>b</i>) 126 cases of transient glycosuria and (<i>c</i>) 33 cases of renal glycosuria. Renal glycosuria is regarded as a rare disorder. Joslin and his associates<sup>1</sup>found 62 cases of renal glycosuria, including 9 cases of renal glycosuria of pregnancy, among 18,000 cases of mellituria. Fitz<sup>2</sup>reported that the compiled records of the Massachusetts General Hospital and Peter Bent Brigham Hospital for the last decade showed the diagnosis of renal diabetes only 36 times. Fowler<sup>3</sup>discovered only 7 cases of renal glycosuria among 4,000 cases of mellituria at
AbstractThis is the first demonstration of glycogen deposition in renal tubules attributable to renal glycosuria. A 23-year-old man was found to have membranous glomerulopathy with nephrotic syndrome, renal glycosuria with depressed tubular maximum for glucose absorption and, on electron microscopy, glycogen in renal tubular cells.
Clinicopathological features and outcomes of PLA2R-related membranous nephropathy with renal glycosuria
AbstractBACKGROUND: Membranous nephropathy (MN) is an immune complex-mediated disease. Massive proteinuria can lead to Fanconi syndrome, clinically manifesting as renal glycosuria. The prevalence and prognosis of M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R)-related MN with renal glycosuria remain unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients diagnosed with PLA2R-related MN with renal glycosuria were reviewed, and the control group comprised patients with MN without renal glycosuria who were randomly selected at a ratio of 1 : 3. RESULTS: 50 patients diagnosed with PLA2R-related MN with renal glycosuria from January 2015 to January 2020 were included, with a prevalence of 2.3%. Compared with patients without renal glycosuria, those with renal glycosuria exhibited greater proteinuria, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and higher use of diuretics, anticoagulants, antibiotics, traditional Chinese medicine, and tacrolimus within 3 months prior to renal biopsy (all p < 0.05). Histologically, patients with renal glycosuria exhibited more severe pathological stages, acute/chronic tubulointerstitial lesions, and tubulointerstitial inflammation (all p < 0.05). Of the 10 patients treated with rituximab (RTX), proteinuria remission was maintained in 6 (60%) patients, and urine glucose remission was achieved in 5 of these 6 patients (83.3%). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that renal glycosuria and age > 50 years were independent risk factors for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or a 30% reduction in the eGFR in patients with PLA2R-related MN. CONCLUSION: PLA2R-related MN patients with renal glycosuria presented with more severe clinicopathological manifestations and worse prognoses. Nephrotoxic drugs should be administered rationally, and RTX should be considered as a promising treatment option.
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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