DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for shoulder impingement syndrome — screening already-approved drugs against its 4-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleShoulder impingement syndrome maps to a 4-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 shoulder impingement syndrome 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
FERM and PDZ domain containing 4 (FRMPD4) — FRMPD4 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 pgedrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 4WND · 1.5 Å · ligand TRIETHYLENE GLYCOL (PGE). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 1990 evaluation of 67 shoulders in 65 patients who had pain and dysfunction for more than two years after an initial acromioplasty for impingement syndrome without a rotator cuff tear found that in 27 shoulders there had been diagnostic errors, and in 28 operative errors; only in 12 had the diagnosis and the operative procedure both been correct. Subsequent operative intervention in patients not receiving worker's compensation benefit had a 75% success rate, whereas in those receiving such benefits the success rate was only 46%.
A 2003 randomised controlled trial of a single subacromial injection of methylprednisolone with bupivicaine versus bupivicaine alone in 98 patients with persistent post-traumatic impingement found no statistical difference in pain scores or active shoulder abduction at 3, 6, or 12 weeks. Mean patient pain scores at 12 weeks were 1.38 on a 10 cm visual analogue scale in both groups. Mean active abduction at 12 weeks was 168.9 degrees in the methylprednisolone group and 170.3 degrees in the control group. The authors concluded that a single subacromial injection of methylprednisolone has no beneficial impact on reducing pain or the duration of immobility.
A 2014 randomised placebo-controlled study of 96 patients found that a single suprascapular nerve block showed significant improvements compared with a placebo injection of normal saline with respect to pain improvement and shoulder function at the 2-week and 3-month follow-up periods. The authors concluded that suprascapular nerve block is a very effective treatment in shoulder impingement syndrome.
A 2021 randomised controlled trial of 218 patients compared a single subacromial injection of 60 mg ketorolac with 40 mg methylprednisolone. The mean post-injection VAS score in the ketorolac group was 2.80 and in the steroid group was 4.20. The mean post-injection constant score in the ketorolac group was 31.59 and in the steroid group was 41.31. The authors concluded that subacromial ketorolac injection showed a better mean pain score and constant score than subacromial steroid injection. What is still missing is consistent evidence from larger, longer-term trials that account for patient stratification by compensation status, diagnostic accuracy, and the specific mechanism of impingement, as well as direct comparisons of ketorolac against placebo rather than against a steroid that itself showed no benefit over bupivicaine alone in the 2003 trial.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume · 1990 · 81 citations
Failed acromioplasty for impingement syndrome
AbstractWe evaluated 67 shoulders in 65 patients who had pain and dysfunction for more than two years after an initial acromioplasty for impingement syndrome without a rotator cuff tear. In addition to a thorough history, physical examination, local anaesthesia injection and any other necessary investigations all patients had arthroscopic evaluation of the shoulder. In 27 shoulders there had been diagnostic errors, and in 28 operative errors; only in 12 had the diagnosis and the operative procedure both been correct. Subsequent operative intervention in patients not receiving worker's compensation benefit had a 75% success rate, whereas in those receiving such benefits the success rate was only 46%.
Emergency Medicine Journal · 2003 · 43 citations · open access
Randomised controlled trial of single, subacromial injection of methylprednisolone in patients with persistent, post-traumatic impingment of the shoulder
AbstractOBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact on recovery, of single subacromial injection of methylprednisolone in patients with persistent, post-traumatic impingement of the shoulder. DESIGN: Randomised, controlled study. SETTING: Large accident and emergency department in Leicester, UK. PARTICIPANTS: 98 patients with persistent, post-traumatic impingement of the shoulder. INTERVENTION: Single subacromial injection of methylprednisolone with bupivicaine (group S, n=54) or bupivicaine only (group C, n=44). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain using a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS) and active shoulder abduction. RESULTS: Comparison of pain scores by the 10 cm VAS between group and group C showed no statistical difference at 3, 6, or 12 weeks. Mean patient pain scores at 12 weeks were 1.38 in both groups (p=0.99). There were 16 patients in group S (mean age 52 years) with a 10 cm VAS greater than 1 (95% CI CI 0.17 to 0.43), compared with 13 patients (mean age 57 years) in group C (95% CI 0.17 to 0.45). Comparison of active shoulder abduction between group S and group C showed no statistical difference at 3, 6, or 12 weeks. Mean active abduction at 12 weeks was 168.9 degrees in group S and 170.3 degrees in group C (p=0.8). There were 10 patients in group S (mean age 60.5) with active abduction less than 170 at 12 weeks (95% CI 0.09 to 0.31), compared with five patients (mean age 62 years) in group C (95% CI 0.04 to 0.24). CONCLUSIONS: Single subacromial injection of methylprednisolone has no beneficial impact on reducing the pain, or the duration of immobility in patients with persistent post-traumatic impingement of the shoulder
Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain · 2014 · 10 citations
Does Suprascapular Nerve Block Improve Shoulder Disability in Impingement Syndrome? A Randomized Placebo-Contolled Study
AbstractObjectives: A randomized placebo-controlled study was designed to determine the efficacy of suprascapular nerve block [SSNB] in the treatment of shoulder impingement syndrome.Methods: The study group consist of 96 patients who were randomized to an injection group [n = 51] or a placebo group [n = 45]. Patients in the group receiving active treatment had a single SSNB while patients in the control group received a placebo injection of normal saline. The evaluations were performed in terms of visual analog scale for pain intensity, and constant shoulder score [CSS] for shoulder function.Results: The SSNB group showed significant improvments compared with the placebo group with respect to pain improvment and shoulder function at the 2-week and 3-month follow-up periods.Conclusion: Suprascapular nerve block is a very effective treatment in shoulder impingement syndrome. It improves pain, disability, and range of movement at the shoulder compared with placebo.
Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences · 2021 · 2 citations · open access
Comparison of Subacromial Ketorolac Inj Vs Subacromial Steroid Inj in Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
AbstractAim: To compare the outcome of subacromial ketorolac injection versus subacromial steroid injection in Shoulder Impingement Syndrome. Methodology: This randomized controlled trial was done at the Department of Orthopedics Unit II, Mayo Hospital, Lahore from 26th April 2018 to 25th October 2018. The sample size was 218patients 15 to 60 years of age with shoulder impingement syndrome, were included and patients with a fracture or rotator cuff tear who presented with weakness and muscle wasting, taking regular systemic NSAIDs or steroids, history ofgastrointestinal (GI) ulcers and bleeding disorderswereexcluded. Randomization was done by lottery method.Group A (ketorolac group) was given a single injection of 60 mg ketorolac mixed with 1 ml 2% lidocaine and Group B (steroid group) was given 40 mg methylprednisolone mixed with 1ml 2% lidocaine. All patients were followed up on 4th weeks. Results: Out of 218 patients, 117(53.67%) were males and 101(46.33%) were females with a male to female ratio of 1.2:1.The mean age of patients in group A was 39.09±9.90years and in group, B was 38.08±8.61years. The mean post-injection VAS score in group A was 2.80±0.94 and in a group, B was 4.20 ± 0.98 with a p-value of <0.001. The mean post-injection constant score in group A was 31.59±6.86 and in group, B was 41.31±4.56 with a p-value of <0.001. Conclusion: Sub-acromial ketorolac injection showeda better mean pain score and constant score than subacromial steroid injection in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. Keywords: Shoulder Impingement Syndrome, subacromial ketorolac injection, subacromial steroid injection,
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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