DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for sialolithiasis — screening already-approved drugs against its 36-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleSialolithiasis maps to a 36-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 sialolithiasis 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
eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha kinase 3 (EIF2AK3) — EIF2AK3 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 methylaminodrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 4X7K · 1.8 Å · ligand 4-{2-amino-3-[5-fluoro-2-(methylamino)quinazolin-6-yl]-4-methylbenzoyl}-1-methyl-2,5-diphenyl-1,2-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one (3Z3). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a 1996 series of sixteen patients with sialolithiasis (five parotid, eleven submandibular), interventional radiology using a Dormia basket under fluoroscopy successfully removed the stone in ten cases. Four procedures failed because the stone was adherent to the ductal wall, and two because the catheter could not reach the stone due to ductal anatomy. Digital subtraction sialography and direct digital dental imaging were used in eleven of the cases and were reported as useful. The authors concluded that interventional radiology is less invasive than surgery and recommended it as first-choice treatment for most cases.
A 2018 case report describes a 44-year-old woman with severe toothache in the lower left second molar region but no swelling. Sialoliths in the left submandibular gland were confirmed by radiography. She underwent robot-assisted sialoadenectomy, after which the pain did not recur, but the procedure left facial paralysis and an unaesthetic scar.
A 2021 case report describes a 51-year-old woman with trichotillomania and trichophagia who presented with acute pain and swelling in the left submandibular region after eating. Computed tomography showed swelling of the left submandibular gland with no definite sialoliths. She was diagnosed with acute sialadenitis and started on oral levofloxacin 500 mg/day, but her symptoms worsened within ten hours. A very small sialolith was then observed near the opening of Wharton’s duct. It was removed surgically and found to contain a hair. The surgical site healed in one week with no complications, and there was no recurrence at three years and two months.
What is still missing is a prospective trial comparing interventional radiology, open surgery, and robot-assisted techniques with standardised outcome measures for pain, recurrence, and nerve injury. The evidence remains limited to small case series and single-patient reports, with no data on patient stratification by stone size, location, or ductal anatomy. No funding for such a comparative study has been reported.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Interventional radiology for the non-surgical removal of sialoliths.
AbstractOBJECTIVES: To clarify the usefulness and limitations of interventional radiology for sialolithiasis. METHODS: Sixteen patients (5 with parotid and 11 with submandibular sialolithiasis) were treated with a stone retrieval catheter (Dormia basket) under fluoroscopy. Digital subtraction sialography (DSS) and direct digital dental imaging (RVG) were performed in addition for 11 of the cases (DSS for 7 and RVG for 4 cases). RESULTS: The sialolith was successfully removed in 10 cases. DSS and RVG were useful. Four cases failed because the stone was adherent to the ductal wall and two because the catheter could not reach the stone because of the ductal anatomy. CONCLUSION: Interventional radiology is less invasive than surgical treatment and is the recommended first choice for treatment in the majority of cases of sialolithiasis.
YUHSpace (Yonsei University Medical Library) · 2018 · 1 citations · open access
Toothache Caused by Sialolithiasis of the Submandibular Gland
AbstractSialolithiasis is the most frequent disease of the salivary glands, causing swelling and/or pain of the affected site. We report a 44-year-old woman who presented with severe pain in the lower left second molar region without swelling. Sialoliths on her left submandibular gland \nwere confirmed by radiographic examinations. After robot-assisted sialoadenectomy, the pain did not recur but remained facial paralysis and unaesthetic scar.
Japanese Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery · 2021 · 0 citations · open access
A case of sialolithiasis in the submandibular duct formed around a hair in a patient with trichotillomania and trichophagia
AbstractSialolithiasis is a common disease of the salivary glands. The exact cause is unclear; however, cases caused by a foreign body are rare. Herein, we report a case of sialolithiasis in the submandibular duct formed around a hair in a patient with trichotillomania and trichophagia. A 51-year-old woman visited our hospital with an acute episode of pain and swelling in the left submandibular region after eating. Computed tomography revealed swelling of the left submandibular gland with no definite sialoliths. The clinical diagnosis was acute sialadenitis. Oral antibiotic administration (levofloxacin 500 mg/day) was promptly initiated. However, her symptoms worsened, and she returned to our hospital 10 hours later. A very small sialolith was observed through the oral mucosa near the opening of the Wharton’s duct. The sialolith was removed surgically and found to be accompanied by a hair upon gross examination. The surgical site healed after one week without any complications. There has been no recurrence in the three years and two months after the operation.
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.
