DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for retinal vein occlusion — screening already-approved drugs against its 5-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleRetinal vein occlusion maps to a 5-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 retinal vein occlusion 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
prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) — PTGS2 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 saldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 5F1A · 2.38 Å · ligand 2-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID (SAL). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2011 European consensus document noted that retinal vein occlusion can cause visual loss with costly social repercussions, but at that time there was no European consensus on management. The document aimed to provide guidelines based on a review of literature and clinical trial data, taking into account recent advances in diagnostic tools and management options.
A 2015 study of 44 patients with retinal vein occlusion and macular edema measured intraocular cytokines before and after intravitreal ranibizumab injection. Eleven cytokines were reliably detected. After injection, angiogenic (VEGF) and proinflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, IL-15, MCP-1) were significantly suppressed. Clinical efficacy of the therapy correlated with the degree of cytokine suppression, which in turn depended on the severity of ocular involvement at baseline. The authors concluded that the pathogenesis involves a cascade of immune and inflammatory processes beyond VEGF, whose activity depends on the extent of ischemic damage.
A 2016 report described a new device for fragmenting thrombi in retinal vein occlusion, tested in 40 porcine eyes. The device consisted of a 23-gauge pipe and a 37-gauge needle with an internal wire. Success rates for needle piercing into the branch retinal vein and central retinal vein were 85% and 95%, respectively. Success rates for cannulation of the internal wire into the branch retinal vein and central retinal vein were 85% and 0%, respectively. Histologic examination showed no damage to the endothelial cell layer. The authors suggested the device could become a treatment modality for branch retinal vein occlusion.
A 2016 update on branch retinal vein occlusion noted that new pharmacotherapeutic options and diagnostic methods had led to a revolution in management, but clinicians still face questions about which drug to use, whether switching or combining treatments is beneficial, the recommended regimen, when to start and how long to continue treatment, and whether retinal laser therapy should still be used. A 2008 review stated that traditional treatment modalities, guided by the Branch Vein Occlusion Study and Central Vein Occlusion Study, attempted to reduce ocular complications and improve visual acuity through targeted laser photocoagulation, with surgical techniques used in select cases and novel pharmacotherapies becoming useful modalities. What remains missing is a European consensus on management, resolution of questions about optimal drug choice, regimen, and combination strategies, and clinical validation of the endovascular device in human patients.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Ophthalmologica · 2011 · 122 citations · open access
Management of Retinal Vein Occlusion – Consensus Document
AbstractRetinal vein occlusion (RVO) can have severe consequences for the people affected by the disease, including visual loss with costly social repercussions. Currently, there is no European consensus with regard to the management of RVO. Following a careful review of the medical literature as well as the data from several clinical trials, a collaborative group of retina specialists put forth practical recommendations based on the best available scientific evidence for the clinical approach to RVO. Taking into consideration the recent advances in diagnostic tools and management options, the present document aims to provide the European ophthalmologists with guidelines for clinical practice to the benefit of their patients.
Russian Annals of Ophthalmology · 2015 · 4 citations
Intraocular cytokines imbalance in retinal vein occlusion and its impact on the efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapy
AbstractAIM: To study the concentrations of intraocular cytokines in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) before and after intravitreal ranibizumab injection and to compare the results with clinical activity of the disease and treatment efficacy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comprehensive ophthalmological examination of 44 patients with RVO and macular edema was performed. Intraocular fluid was first collected before the intravitreal injection. Cytokines concentrations were measured using Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine 27-plex Panel (Bio-Rad Laboratories, USA) for flow cytometry. The test was repeated 1 month after the injection. RESULTS: A total of 11 cytokines were reliably detected. After ranibizumab injections certain angiogenic (VEGF) and proinflammatory (IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, IL-15, MCP-1) factors appeared to be significantly suppressed. Clinical efficacy of the therapy correlated with the degree of cytokines suppression, which in turn depended on the severity of ocular involvement at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal vein occlusion pathogenesis involves a cascade of immune and inflammatory processes, including activation of not only VEGF but also quite a few inflammatory and chemotactic factors, whose activity depends on the extent of ischemic damage in the retina.
An Endovascular Cannulation Needle with an Internal Wire for the Fragmentation of Thrombi in Retinal Vein Occlusion
AbstractPURPOSE: We report a newly developed device to fragment thrombi in retinal vein occlusion. METHODS: The new instrument consists of a 23-gauge (G) pipe and a 37-G needle with an internal wire. A total of 40 porcine eyes were used; 20 eyes for experiments in the branch retinal vein (BRV group) and 20 eyes for experiments in the central retinal vein (CRV group). We placed 25-G 3-port trocars, and core vitrectomy was performed. Another 23-G scleral incision was performed for insertion of the needle. The needle pierced the retinal vein at a distance of three- to four- or one-disc diameters from the optic disc (BRV or CRV group, respectively), and the internal wire was advanced toward the disc. The success rates of needle piercing and cannulation of the internal wire were recorded in each group. In the CRV group, the cannulation was deemed successful when the tip reached inside the optic disc. Real-time optical coherence tomography imaging also was performed using the Zeiss Rescan 700 device in porcine eyes. Histologic examination of the retinal vessel inserted with the internal wire was performed. RESULTS: The success rates of needle piercing into the BRV and CRV were 85% and 95%, respectively. The success rates of cannulation of the internal wire into the BRV and CRV were 85% and 0%, respectively. The process of cannulation was recorded successfully with the Rescan 700. Histologic examination showed no damages to the endothelial cell layer. CONCLUSIONS: The needle and internal wire intended to be used for recanalization of BRV occlusion were successfully pierced and cannulated into the BRV. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: This newly developed device could become a treatment modality for retinal vein occlusion to fragment thrombi that present treatment methods cannot reach and remove directly.
European Ophthalmic Review · 2016 · 1 citations · open access
Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion – Update on Treatment Options
AbstractThe advent of new pharmacotherapeutic options and diagnostic methods have led to a revolution in the management of branch retinal vein occlusion over the past few years. Despite the variety of treatment options, we are confronted with several questions: which drug should we use? Is switching between or combining treatment options beneficial? What is the recommended treatment regimen? When should we start treatment and for how long should we continue it? Should we still use retinal laser therapy? The wide range of possibilities and emerging treatment choices not only aids, but also challenges clinicians striving for evidence-based management.
AbstractABSTRACT Retinal vein occlusions are common causes of ocular morbidity. Traditional treatment modalities, guided by the Branch Vein Occlusion Study and Central Vein Occlusion Study, have attempted to reduce ocular complications arising from these conditions and improve visual acuity through targeted laser photocoagulation. In addition, surgical techniques have been used in select cases to improve visual outcomes. More recently, novel pharmacotherapies have become useful modalities in improving visual outcomes for patients with vein occlusions. This review will identify and offer a management strategy to assist in the treatment of vision-threatening complications of retinal vein occlusions.
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.
