DeCure's autonomous Dermatology AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for systemic scleroderma — screening already-approved drugs against its 47-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleSystemic scleroderma maps to a 47-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 systemic scleroderma 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
fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) — FGFR4 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 1~{r}drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 8KH8 · 1.49 Å · ligand 1-[4-[(1~{R})-1-[3,5-bis(chloranyl)pyridin-4-yl]ethoxy]-5-cyano-pyridin-2-yl]-3-[6-methanoyl-5-[(4-methyl-2-oxidanylidene-piperazin-1-yl)methyl]-3-(2-morpholin-4-ylethoxy)pyridin-2-yl]urea (VVW). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Twenty-one patients with various forms and systemic scleroderma were treated with azathioprine. Eight were judged improved subjectively and by clinical evaluation, seven were unchanged, two had progression, and one was lost from the study. None died during the study. Three patients had a febrile reaction requiring cessation of therapy; other mild toxic symptoms did not preclude continuing treatment. The authors state these results do not establish unequivocal evidence that this drug or treatment approach is successful in controlling systemic scleroderma, and they call for evaluation in a larger series over a longer time.
A 2007 review describes systemic scleroderma as an incurable condition that can require months or years of testing before diagnosis, taking an enormous toll on patients and families. It discusses epidemiology, pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, differential diagnosis, diagnostic tests, and treatment plans, noting the disease is chronic and debilitating.
A 2022 review article covers current possibilities for early diagnosis of systemic scleroderma, a disease characterised by fibroproductive changes in connective tissue and microvascular disorders affecting skin, musculoskeletal system, and internal organs. It states early initiation of therapy is necessary to prevent progression, but does not report any drug trial results.
What is still missing: for azathioprine, a larger controlled trial with longer follow-up has not been reported in these abstracts. For systemic scleroderma generally, no curative treatment is described, and the 2007 review explicitly calls the disease incurable. No data on patient stratification, biomarker-driven selection, or funding for definitive trials appears in these texts.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Archives of Dermatology · 1968 · 34 citations
Generalized Scleroderma
AbstractTwenty-one patients with various forms and stages of systemic scleroderma were treated with azathioprine, an immunosuppressive agent. Eight of these patients were judged to be improved subjectively and by clinical evaluation during the course of treatment. Seven patients were unchanged, two had progression of their disease and one was lost from the study. None of the patients died during the course of the study. In three patients, a febrile reaction required cessation of therapy. Other toxic symptoms were noted but their mild nature did not preclude continuing therapy. The difficulties of objective evaluation and establishment of a proper control study group is reviewed. These results do not establish unequivocal evidence that this drug or treatment approach is successful in the control of systemic scleroderma. An evaluation in a larger series for a more prolonged time is indicated.
AbstractThis article aims to familiarize the practitioner with systemic scleroderma and addresses the various decisions needed for an appropriate continuity of care with this difficult disease. This incurable condition can account for many months or even years of testing before a definitive diagnosis is made. These circumstances take an enormous toll on patients and their families. This article discusses the epidemiology, pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, differential diagnosis, diagnostic tests, and treatment plan for patients with systemic scleroderma. This complicated disease process requires not only that practitioners be intuitive but also that these patients' caregivers become familiar with this chronic and debilitating disease process.
Vnitřní lékařství · 2022 · 0 citations · open access
Early diagnosis of systemic scleroderma
AbstractSystemic scleroderma (SSc) is a systemic immune-mediated connective tissue disease characterized by fibroproductive changes in connective tissue and microvascular disorders. The disease affects the skin, musculoskeletal system and internal organs. It is a disease with a significant rate of morbidity and mortality, significantly worsening the quality of life of patients. Early initiation of therapy is necessary to prevent disease progression. This review article discusses the current possibilities of early diagnosis of systemic scleroderma.
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.
