DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for testicular Leydig cell tumor — screening already-approved drugs against its 35-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleTesticular Leydig cell tumor maps to a 35-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 testicular leydig cell tumor 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
Leydig cell tumours of the testis are rare, representing 1–3% of all testicular tumours. A 2025 single-centre retrospective series of four histologically confirmed cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2024 reported tumour sizes ranging from 1.8 to 3.5 cm. All four patients underwent radical inguinal orchiectomy; histology showed benign tumours without necrosis, mitotic activity, or vascular invasion. No adjuvant therapy was given, and all patients remained disease-free at follow-up. The authors note that presentations were heterogeneous — testicular swelling, infertility, or incidental findings — and that imaging sometimes mimicked germ cell tumours. They call for standardised protocols and greater awareness to avoid overtreatment.
Earlier case reports and series describe organ-sparing surgery as an alternative to radical orchiectomy, particularly for bilateral tumours and young men. A 2003 report of incidental bilateral Leydig cell tumours described a left radical orchiectomy followed one week later by a partial right orchiectomy; no recurrence or metastasis was detected after 12 months. A 2013 series of three new cases (mean patient age 29 years, range 23–37) treated with tumour enucleation or a combination of unilateral orchidectomy and contralateral tumorectomy reported no local recurrence after a mean follow-up of 40 months. Both papers argue that conservative surgery preserves fertility and avoids hormonal replacement, provided close surveillance is maintained. A 2018 case report of a pure Leydig cell tumour (without Sertoli cell elements) repeats that these tumours are extremely rare and that determining malignant potential is difficult.
A 2019 study of a spontaneous Leydig cell tumour in a rat found that immunohistochemical markers — vimentin, calretinin, inhibin-α, β-catenin, and E-cadherin — showed similar expression patterns in rat, dog, and human leydigoma, suggesting these markers are useful across species for diagnosis. No human treatment data are reported in that study.
What is still missing: prospective multicentre data on malignant Leydig cell tumours, which are too rare for any single institution to accumulate; standardised diagnostic criteria to distinguish benign from malignant forms before surgery; and any randomised comparison of radical orchiectomy versus organ-sparing surgery with long-term oncological and fertility outcomes. No drug therapy is mentioned in any of these abstracts.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Urologia Internationalis · 2003 · 9 citations
Incidental Bilateral Leydig Cell Tumor of the Testes
AbstractTestis tumors are extremely rare tumors, especially if they are bilateral, interstitial tumors. We present a case with bilateral Leydig cell tumors, which were detected incidentally. First, radical left orchiectomy was performed and pathologic diagnosis was Leydig cell tumor. One week later, partial right orchiectomy was done. The diagnosis was the same. After the 12-month follow-up, no recurrence or metastasis was detected. We suggest organ-sparing surgery as an alternative in the treatment of bilateral Leydig cell tumors especially for young males, since this surgical approach prevents hormonal replacement therapy and maintains fertility and potency.
Metachronous Bilateral Leydig Cell Tumor in a Male Adult Aged 20
AbstractWe report a young male aged 20 who has suffered two episodes of Leydig cell tumor of the testis, the second occurring 5 years after the first in the contralateral testis. The case is outlined briefly, with references taken from the literature. This young man's history is exceptional as this type of tumor is infrequent, and metachronous bilateral presentation extremely rare.
African Journal of Urology · 2013 · 3 citations · open access
Testis sparing surgery for Leydig cell tumors: New three cases and review of the current literature
AbstractLeydig cells tumors of the testis are uncommon, representing between 1 and 3% of the testicular tumors and for which the natural history and therapy are debated between radical orchitectomy and organ-sparing surgery. We report three new cases of Leydig cells tumors, treated in our department and we discuss the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of this uncommon tumor. The mean patient age was 29 years (23–37 years). Medical referral was for a testicular pain in two and gynecomastia in one case. All patients were treated surgically, through an inguinal incision and the procedure included clamping of the spermatic cord. During surgery, frozen section were analyzed in two cases and the tumor enucleation with organ-sparing surgery was performed. The other patient had an unilateral orchidectomy and controlateral tumorectomy. The mean follow-up was 40 months with no local recurrence. Patients diagnosed with Leydig cells tumors have a good prognosis; this study shows the safety of conservative surgery treatment, provided it is subsequently followed by close surveillance, as it preserves maximum fertility, and these tumors usually have a favorable prognosis.
Immunohistochemical and Histological Features of a Spontaneous Leydig Cell Tumour in a Rat
AbstractNeoplastic testicular lesions are diagnosed increasingly frequently in dogs and humans. In rats, spontaneous testicular tumours, particularly Leydig cell tumours, are very rare. The aim of the study was to carry out a histological and immunohistochemical analysis of a Leydig cell tumour in a rat as well as to present the similarities and differences in the expression of the proteins used to diagnose this type of tumour in dogs and men. Following the histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis (including antibodies against vimentin, calretinin, inhibin-, catenin and E-cadherin), significant similarities were found in the level of expression of the studied cell markers of the rat, dog and male leydigoma. This indicates their usefulness as diagnostic markers of testicle tumours both in humans and animals. 2019 PVJ.
Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine · 2018 · 0 citations · open access
Pure Leydig cell tumor: a rare case report
AbstractLeydig cell tumors are rare tumors and constitute 1-3% of all testicular tumors. The pure form of these tumors, which are often found in mixed form with sertoli cells, is extremely rare. It is very difficult to determine the malignancy potential in leydig cell tumors most commonly manifested by a testicular mass or endocrine symptoms. In this study, clinical, histological and prognostic features of a pure form of Leydig cell tumors are presented in the light of literature information.
Archivio Italiano di Urologia e Andrologia · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
Beyond germ cell tumors: focus on Leydig cell neoplasms from a single-center experience
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) are rare testicular neoplasms that account for a small proportion of testicular tumors and are often diagnosed incidentally or on investigation of infertility or hormonal symptoms. Despite their generally benign behaviour, a small percentage may have malignant potential, which poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to the lack of standardizedguidelines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed four casesof histologically confirmed LCTs diagnosed and treated at a single institution between 2000 and 2024. Clinical, biochemical, radiologic, surgical, and pathologic data were collected and analysed. RESULTS: Patients presented with a variety of clinical histories, including testicular swelling, infertility, or incidental findings. Tumor size ranged from 1.8 to 3.5 cm. All patients underwent radical inguinal orchiectomy, and histology confirmed benign LCTs without high-risk features such as necrosis, mitotic activity, or vascular invasion. Hormonal profiles and imaging were key to the diagnostic process, although findings sometimes mimicked germ cell tumors. Adjuvant therapy was not required, and all patients remained disease-free at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This case series highlights the heterogeneity of LCT presentations and emphasizes the importance of accurate diagnosis, individualized treatment, and multidisciplinary management. Standardized protocols, greater awareness and timely imaging are essential to avoid overtreatment and improve outcomes in LCT patients.
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.
