DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for stomatitis — screening already-approved drugs against its 18-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleStomatitis maps to a 18-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 stomatitis 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
neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase 3 (NTRK3) — NTRK3 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 4-aminophenyldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6KZD · 1.708 Å · ligand 3-[2-[6-(4-aminophenyl)imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3-yl]ethynyl]-2-methyl-~{N}-[3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-5-propan-2-yl-phenyl]benzamide (DZ6). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a 2016 trial of 92 postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer prescribed everolimus and exemestane, a dexamethasone mouthwash (0.5 mg per 5 mL, swished for two minutes and spat four times daily for eight weeks) was tested as prophylaxis against stomatitis. Among 86 evaluable patients, the rate of grade 2 or higher stomatitis at eight weeks was 2.4% (two patients), with a grade 1 rate of 17.4% and no grade 3 or 4 events. This was compared to the BOLERO-2 trial, where all-grade stomatitis was 67%, grade 2 was 25%, and grade 3 was 8%. Mean oral pain scores remained below 1 on a 0–10 scale at all visits, and 86% of patients reported a normal diet at eight weeks. 12% discontinued everolimus/exemestane due to suspected related adverse events, most commonly rash (2%), hyperglycemia (2%), stomatitis (1%), and pneumonitis (1%).
A 1940 study of 115 children attending a casualty department in Birmingham classified stomatitis by age, noting that clinical and bacteriological features in children under two years old differed from those in older children. The authors listed multiple named varieties—aphthous, catarrhal, mycotic (thrush), ulcerative, gangrenous (noma), and symptomatic forms occurring in acute leukaemia and scurvy—but found that cases could not always be reliably assigned to these groups.
A 2025 preprint states that herpetic stomatitis, caused by herpes simplex virus type 1, is the most common cause of stomatitis in children under five years old, though it can also occur in adults. The virus is described as a DNA virus that can localise in epidermal cells and neuronal axons and nodes, entering a latent state. The preprint calls for wider study of the clinical significance, infection routes, and spread of the herpes virus.
What remains missing is prospective data on dexamethasone mouthwash for stomatitis from causes other than mTOR inhibitor therapy, particularly viral stomatitis in children and adults. No randomised controlled trial has compared prophylactic dexamethasone mouthwash against placebo or alternative interventions for herpetic or aphthous stomatitis. The 1940 study provides no treatment outcomes, and the 2025 preprint offers no new clinical data. Patient stratification by aetiology, age, and immune status is absent from the existing 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.
Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2016 · 11 citations
Prevention of everolimus/exemestane (EVE/EXE) stomatitis in postmenopausal (PM) women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) using a dexamethasone-based mouthwash (MW): Results of the SWISH trial.
Abstract525 Background: Stomatitis is a significant complication associated with mTOR inhibition. In BOLERO-2 patients (pts) receiving EVE/EXE, all grade (Gr) stomatitis was 67%; 33% had Gr ≥ 2 and 8% Gr 3. The median time to ≥ Gr 2 onset was 15.5 days, the incidence of new stomatitis (Gr ≥ 2) plateaued at 6 wks. In a meta-analysis, 89% of first stomatitis events occurred within 8 wks. Topical steroids are used to treat aphthous ulcers; anecdotal use as prophylaxis has been reported. Methods: Eligibility included PM women with HR+ MBC prescribed EVE/EXE. Treatment included EVE 10 mg and EXE 25 mg QD, with 10 mL of commercially available 0.5 mg/5 mL dexamethasone oral solution to swish x 2 min, and spit QID for 8 wks, starting day 1. Pts completed a daily adherence log, including an oral pain (range 0-10) and normalcy of diet score. The primary endpoint was to compare the incidence of Gr ≥ 2 stomatitis at 8 wks with BOLERO-2 results. Secondary endpoints included: MW use by average times/day, EVE/EXE dose intensity, incidence of all Gr stomatitis and time to resolution to Gr ≤ 1. Results: 92 women were enrolled; 86 are evaluable for efficacy. Median age was 61 yrs (range 34-87); 38% were treated with EVE/EXEin the ≥ 2nd-line setting. Median dose intensity was 10 (range 3-14) and 25 mg (range 8-25) for EVE and EXE. 95% of pts used the MW 3-4 times/day (median MW use/d = 3.95, range 1.9-4). The rate of ≥ Gr 2 stomatitis at 8 weeks was 2.4% (2 pts) with a Gr 1 rate of 17.4%; there were no ≥ Gr 3 events. A comparison of stomatitis incidence by grade between BOLERO-2 and SWISH is shown in the Table. Mean pain scale score was < 1 at all visits; 86% of pts reported a normal diet at 8 wks. 12% discontinued EVE/EXE due to suspected related adverse events (most common: rash [2%], hyperglycemia [2%], stomatitis [1%] and pneumonitis [1%]). Conclusions: Prophylactic use of 0.5 mg/5 mL dexamethasone oral solution markedly decreases the incidence and severity of stomatitis in patients receiving EVE/EXE for MBC and should be considered a new standard of care in this setting. Clinical trial information: NCT02069093.Study Stomatitis Grade (%) All 1 2 3 4 BOLERO-2 (total) 67 34 25 8 0 SWISH (at 8 weeks) 19.8 17.4 2.4 0 0
Archives of Disease in Childhood · 1940 · 7 citations · open access
Stomatitis in Childhood
AbstractStomatitis is a common complaint which is usually considered to run a benign course, although Ebbs (1938) has suggested that during infancy certain forms of the disease may have serious consequences. An attempt has been made to throw further light on the matter by the study of one-hundred-and- fifteen children suffering from stomatitis who attended the Casualty Department of the Children's Hospital, Birmingham, between August 12 and December 14, 1938. The term stomatitis means an ' inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth' (Stedman, 1936), and many varieties of the disease have been described. Amongst the terms in more or less common use are the following: aphthous (follicular, herpetic, vesicular) stomatitis ; catarrhal (simple) stomati- tis ; mycotic (parasitic) stomatitis or thrush ; ulcerative stomatitis (infective, Vincent's ulcero-membranous, necrotic or infectious gingivo-stomatitis); gangrenous stomatitis or noma; and symptomatic stomatitis such as occurs in acute leukaemia and scurvy. It has been found that it is not always possible to classify the cases according to these groups, but it seemed that as a rule the clinical and bacteriological features of stomatitis in children under the age of two differ from those of older children. The cases have therefore been grouped according to age.
Journal of Cranio-Maxillary Diseases · 2012 · 6 citations
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis treated with fucoidan
AbstractRecurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a rather widespread oral ulcerative condition with an unclear etiology. The clinical characteristics of RAS have been defined and therapies include anesthetic gel, oral anti-inflammatory drugs, Vitamin B12 supplements and corticosteroid ointment used on the lips. However, these approaches have not been rigorously evaluated. Persistent and painful RAS was successfully treated with 4% Power Fucoidan Cream TM (PFC, Daiichi-Sangyo, Osaka, Japan) in two women. RAS was remarkably improved by PFC. Further clinical trials are needed to confirm the value and safety of topical PFC for treating RAS.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
10.5281/zenodo.14891815
AbstractHerpetic stomatitis is a type of Herpes Simplex Virus (DNA carrier) of the first type, a viral disease characterized by high fever and severe pain. Although herpetic stomatitis is the most common cause of stomatitis in children under five years of age, it can also occur in adults. The causative agent is a DNA virus (herpes). It can also be localized in epidermotrope - epidermis cells and neurotrope - axons and nodes of neurons, passing into a latent state. According to preliminary research, the clinical significance of the herpes virus, the routes of infection and spread should be widely studied.
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.
