DeCure's autonomous Cardio AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for secondary hypertension — screening already-approved drugs against its 3-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleSecondary hypertension maps to a 3-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 secondary hypertension 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
polycystin 1, transient receptor potential channel interacting (PKD1) — PKD1 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 1rdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 8ZKH · 2.3 Å · ligand (1R)-2-{[(S)-{[(2S)-2,3-dihydroxypropyl]oxy}(hydroxy)phosphoryl]oxy}-1-[(hexadecanoyloxy)methyl]ethyl
(9Z)-octadec-9-enoate (PGW). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Secondary hypertension accounts for an estimated 5–10% of all hypertensive patients, though in those with difficult-to-control or treatment-resistant hypertension the prevalence may exceed 20%. The most common causes are renal parenchymal disease, primary aldosteronism, and renovascular hypertension, with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis, Cushing’s disease, and hyperparathyroidism also cited. In children, aortic coarctation, distal aortic stenosis, and specific gene mutations are more frequent; phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma tend to occur in adolescents or young adults. Diagnostic evaluation involves complex and expensive tests and should be reserved for patients with strong clinical suspicion.
Clinical clues that should prompt investigation include onset of hypertension before age 30, especially without family history or other risk factors; treatment-resistant hypertension; severe hypertension (>180/110 mmHg), malignant hypertension, or hypertensive emergencies; a rapid rise in previously well-controlled blood pressure; a “reverse dipping” or “non-dipping” pattern on 24-hour ambulatory monitoring not explained otherwise; signs of endocrine causes; and snoring or clear sleep apnoea. When a secondary cause is identified, etiological management of the underlying disease can, in some cases, lead to blood pressure control without antihypertensive medication.
No randomised trial data are presented in these abstracts, and no specific drug is tested or repurposed for secondary hypertension. The abstracts are narrative reviews that describe diagnostic strategy, not treatment outcomes. There is no evidence here that any particular pharmacological agent alters the natural history of secondary hypertension beyond what is already known about treating the underlying cause.
What is still missing are prospective trials that test specific drugs—whether repurposed or novel—in defined secondary hypertension subgroups, with stratification by aetiology (e.g., primary aldosteronism versus renovascular disease). Funding for such trials, which require careful phenotyping and long-term blood pressure and hard outcome endpoints, remains limited. Without that, the field continues to rely on case series and expert opinion rather than randomised evidence.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Current Hypertension Reviews · 2019 · 28 citations · open access
Secondary Hypertension: Novel Insights
AbstractIt is estimated that 5-10% of hypertensive patients have secondary hypertension. The main causes of secondary hypertension are parenchymal renal disease, primary aldosteronism and renovascular hypertension. The identification of these patients is important because it enables the etiological management of the underlying disease and in some cases leads to blood pressure control without antihypertensive medications. On the other hand, diagnostic evaluation for secondary hypertension often includes complex and expensive tests and should be performed only in patients with a strong clinical suspicion for its presence. If preliminary screening tests suggest the presence of secondary hypertension, these patients should be referred to specialized centers for further diagnostic evaluation and comprehensive management.
South African Family Practice · 2011 · 1 citations · open access
Secondary hypertension
AbstractSecondary hypertension is rare and the diagnosis may be challenging although, on occasion, there are clinical features indicative of a specific underlying cause. The more commonly encountered causes include renal parenchymal and vascular disease, phaeochromocytoma, endocrine causes, sleep apnoea and drugs.
Giornale italiano di cardiologia · 2024 · 1 citations
Ipertensione arteriosa secondaria: diagnosi e trattamento
AbstractHypertension does not recognize obvious pathogenic causes in the majority of patients (essential hypertension). However, a secondary underlying cause of hypertension can be recognized in 5-10% of unselected hypertensive patients, and this prevalence may increase to more than 20% in patients with hypertension that is difficult to control or frankly resistant to treatment. In children, secondary hypertension is most often due to aortic coarctation, distal thoracic or abdominal aortic stenosis, or specific gene mutations. In adults or elderly individuals, secondary hypertension is most often due to atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis, primary hyperaldosteronism, and Cushing's disease or syndrome. Parenchymal nephropathy and hyperparathyroidism can cause hypertension at all ages, while pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma tend to occur more often in adolescents or young adults. In general, secondary hypertension should be suspected in subjects with: (a) onset of hypertension under 30 years of age especially if in the absence of hypertensive family history or other risk factors for hypertension; (b) treatment-resistant hypertension; c) severe hypertension (>180/110 mmHg), malignancy, or hypertensive emergencies; d) rapid rise in blood pressure values in previously well controlled patients. Any clinical signs suspicious or suggestive of hypertension from endocrine causes, a "reverse dipping" or "non-dipping'" profile at 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring not justified by other factors, signs of obvious organ damage may be helpful clues for diagnosis. Finally, patients snoring or with clear sleep apnea should also be considered for possible secondary hypertension.
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.
