DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for testicular sex cord-stromal neoplasm — 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 moduleTesticular sex cord-stromal neoplasm 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 testicular sex cord-stromal neoplasm 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
Testicular sex cord-stromal tumours are rare and distinct from germ cell neoplasms. A 2009 retrospective series of 38 men over 25 years at a UK regional centre found that all were treated with excision of the primary tumour alone; none developed metastatic disease, and overall median survival was 6.8 years (range 1.4 to 25). The authors concluded that malignancy is uncommon and prophylactic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection is unjustified for clinical stage I disease. A 2008 case report describes an undifferentiated spindled sex cord-stromal tumour arising in the rete testis of a 34-year-old patient, noting that these tumours are usually benign. A 2012 review states that testicular stromal tumours often, though not always, follow a benign course.
A 2017 analysis of the SEER database from 1973 to 2010, covering 53 Leydig cell and 23 Sertoli cell tumours, reports substantially worse outcomes. Among all patients, 79% presented with localised disease and 21% with distant metastases. Median survival for patients presenting with metastases was 27 months. Of patients with apparently localised disease, 13% developed metastases at a median of 17 months. The authors state that sex cord-gonadal stromal tumours have a significantly poorer survival than germ cell testicular neoplasms, likely due to inherent resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. A 2024 literature review notes the limited data in EAU guidelines and calls for more attention to this tumour group.
The discrepancy between the small UK series showing no progression and the larger SEER analysis showing a 13% recurrence rate from localised disease and 21% presenting with metastases is striking. The SEER data suggest that the earlier benign impression may reflect small, selected samples rather than the true natural history. No randomised trial data exist for any drug in this disease. What is missing is prospective multi-centre registration, standardised histopathological risk stratification, and any trial of systemic therapy for the metastatic or recurrent setting, where resistance to standard chemotherapy appears to be the rule.
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 Pediatric Hematology/Oncology · 2012 · 54 citations
Management of Ovarian and Testicular Sex Cord-stromal Tumors in Children and Adolescents
AbstractPediatric ovarian and testicular sex cord-stromal tumors are distinct from germ cell neoplasms and may present with palpable mass or signs of hormone production. Both may be associated with specific genetic syndromes. Staging for ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors is based on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics classification for ovarian carcinoma. Treatment for those with high risk disease includes multiagent chemotherapy. Testicular stromal tumors often, though not always, follow a benign course. Additional research will help to define optimal treatment strategies for children with these rare tumors.
Sex Cord Stromal Testicular Tumors: A Clinical Series—Uniformly Stage I Disease
AbstractPURPOSE: Sex cord stromal testicular tumors are rare. Historically 10% of lesions are said to be malignant but to our knowledge there are no clinical or histological features that can accurately predict potential malignant behavior. Because of this, groups at some centers have advocated prophylactic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in patients with clinical stage I disease. We reviewed our experience with these tumors to determine whether this policy is justified. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all 38 men older than 18 years with sex cord stromal testicular tumors who were referred to the Wessex regional cancer center for treatment or pathological review during the 25-year period of 1982 to 2006. We then compared our series with a malignant sex cord stromal testicular tumor database generated from the world literature. RESULTS: All Wessex patients were treated with excision of the primary tumor alone and metastatic disease developed in none. All remained disease-free with an overall median survival of 6.8 years (range 1.4 to 25). Features in the literature favoring malignant behavior, ie metastatic disease, included larger tumors (mean 6.43 vs 1.71 cm), a high mitotic rate, tumor necrosis, angiolymphatic invasion, infiltrative margins and extratesticular extension (each p <0.0001). The malignant group had an overall median survival of 2.3 years (range 0.02 to 17.3). CONCLUSIONS: No patient had disease progression in our study, which is to our knowledge the largest reported United Kingdom series of sex cord stromal testicular tumors. Our data suggest that malignancy is uncommon and prophylactic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection is unjustified for clinical stage I disease.
International Journal of Surgical Pathology · 2023 · 14 citations
Metastatic Testicular Sex Cord Tumor Harboring a <i>EWSR1::ATF1</i> Gene Fusion—A Case Report of a Novel Neoplasm: “Inflammatory and Nested Testicular Sex Cord Tumor”
AbstractWe present a case report of a 54-year-old male with a metastatic testicular sex cord tumor harboring a EWSR1::ATF1 gene fusion. The tumor displayed a solid and nested architecture with sclerotic stroma and variable inflammatory infiltrate, and was positive for SF-1, inhibin, EMA, CD30, and WT1 expression. Further genetic analysis identified a EWSR1::ATF1 gene fusion. Overall findings were consistent with an “inflammatory and nested testicular sex cord tumor,” a recently described testicular neoplasm characterized by EWSR1::ATF1 gene fusion and aggressive clinical behavior. Due to the aggressive nature of this entity and the limited response to current treatment options available, identification of potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and targeted therapies are critical. This case report provides important insights into the genomic landscape of testicular sex cord-stromal tumors, especially within the CTNNB1-negative subset of patients with an aggressive clinical course, and further supports the distinction of “inflammatory and nested testicular sex cord tumor” as a separate entity from Sertoli cell tumors due to its characteristic morphological, immunohistochemical and molecular, features and clinical behavior.
Advances in Urology · 2008 · 4 citations · open access
Sex Cord-Gonadal Stromal Tumor of the Rete Testis
AbstractA 34-year-old tetraplegic patient with suppurative epididymitis was found on follow-up examination and ultrasonography to have a testicular mass. The radical orchiectomy specimen contained an undifferentiated spindled sex cord-stromal tumor arising in the rete testis. Testicular sex cord-stromal tumors are far less common than germ cell neoplasms and are usually benign. The close relationship between sex cords and ductules of the rete testis during development provides the opportunity for these uncommon tumors to arise anatomically within the rete tesis. This undifferentiated sex cord-stromal tumor, occurring in a previously unreported location, is an example of an unusual lesion mimicking an intratesticular malignant neoplasm.
Oncology in Clinical Practice · 2024 · 1 citations · open access
Sex cord-stromal tumors of the testis—a rare group of benign and malignant gonadal neoplasms. Literature review
AbstractThis article discusses a less common group of testicular tumors, including sex cord-stromal tumors and gonadal stromal tumors. Among the sex cord-stromal tumors, we can distinguish androblastoma (Leydig cell tumor and Sertoli cell tumor), fibroma-thecoma group tumors, stromal tumors, and sex cord tumors. Based on a literature review, we present the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of these testicular tumors. In our opinion, due to the rarity of this group of tumors and limited data in the EAU guidelines, this topic deserves attention, which is why we chose to explore it in our study.
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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