DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for syndactyly type 1 — 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 moduleSyndactyly type 1 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 syndactyly type 1 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
Indian hedgehog signaling molecule (IHH) — IHH 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 co3drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 3K7J · 1.9 Å · ligand CARBONATE ION (CO3). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
The 1983 paper on syndactyly of the toes reports on 43 patients and states that type 1 syndactyly (zygodactyly) is always a cosmetic problem, with correction only occasionally indicated. The 1987 analysis of 20 cases of congenital syndactyly reports that reconstructive procedures restored hand function in more than 90% of cases. The 2024 retrospective study of 55 patients who underwent syndactyly release (39 male, 16 female) across 102 webs (71 hand webs, 31 foot webs) found that gender was not a factor affecting complication rates (P = 0.062). Age at surgery over 2 years was associated with increased postoperative complications (P = 0.032). The most frequent complication during follow-up was web creep, occurring in 7% of cases.
No abstract provides any data on drug treatment, drug repurposing, or pharmacological intervention for syndactyly type 1. The 2024 study notes that causes and management of complications remain debated and vary based on clinical experience, and that its own retrospective study has limitations. The 1983 paper describes type 1 syndactyly as a cosmetic problem for which correction is only occasionally indicated.
What is still missing is any clinical trial testing a drug for syndactyly type 1, any evidence that a drug can alter the natural history of the condition, and any patient stratification beyond surgical age that might guide non-surgical management. No abstract addresses the molecular basis of the condition or proposes a target for pharmacological intervention.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery · 1983 · 17 citations
Syndactyly of the Toes
AbstractThe experience gained through the management of 43 patients with syndactyly of the toes is presented. The incidence appears to be similar to that of syndactyly of the fingers. Type 1 syndactyly, or zygodactyly, always presented itself as a cosmetic problem; its correction is occasionally indicated and the procedure used is discussed. Type 2 syndactyly, or polysyndactyly, represents a functional problem and deserves surgical correction. My negative experience with the more complex procedures described for the correction of polysyndactyly is presented as well as my satisfaction with the simpler procedures. Suggestions for management are offered.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · 2024 · 0 citations · open access
Clinical Features of Syndactyly and Surgical Treatment of Associated Complications
AbstractIntroduction: Syndactyly is a common congenital deformity with an incidence of 1/2000–3000 with a male predominance. Several surgical approaches were described for various clinical presentations. Despite well-documented techniques in current literature, causes, and management of complications remain a topic of debate and often vary based on clinical experience. This study aims to outline our surgical outcome and compare the related complications to those reported in the literature. Materials and Methods: Patient data were extracted from the clinical database and a retrospective study was conducted on 55 patients who underwent syndactyly release. Standardized surgical interventions were performed and early postoperative complications were recorded. Results: Of 55 patients, 39 patients were male and 16 were female. The surgical release of 102 webs (63 hands-71 webs, 21 feet-31 webs) was performed. Gender is not a factor that affects the complication rates (P = 0.062, P > 0.05). Age at surgery over 2 years is associated with increased postoperative complications (P = 0.032, P < 0.05). During the follow-up period, the most frequent complication was web creep (7%). Conclusion: Our retrospective study, despite its limitations, provides valuable insights into achieving successful outcomes and guides future research.
Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery · 1987 · 0 citations · open access
Congenital Syndactyly: An Analysis of 20 Cases*
AbstractSummary 20 cases of congenital syndactyly seen during the last 3 ½ year at the Command Hospital, Pune have been analysed, elucidating the types of the anomaly confronted, the sex incidence and the associated anomalies / syndromes. The reconstructive procedures performed on these patients are being presented whereby restoration of hand function was achieved in more than 90% of the cases.
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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