DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Thyroid Gland Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 1-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleThyroid Gland Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma maps to a 1-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 thyroid gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma 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.
What the evidence adds up to
Primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid gland is an extremely rare malignancy, accounting for roughly 0.5% of thyroid cancers, with about 48 cases reported in the literature as of 2020. The first documented case appeared in 1977, describing a 20-year-old woman with two palpable nodules, one of which showed increased uptake on scintiscan while the other corresponded to the carcinoma. No primary site outside the thyroid was identified. A 1984 case in a 44-year-old woman examined the tumour ultrastructurally and biochemically; thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were not detectable in the tumour tissue, and electron microscopy showed mucous droplets in mucous cells and tonofilament aggregates in squamoid cells, with no evidence of colloid production. The authors concluded the tumour does not retain the functional properties of thyroid follicular cells and found no evidence for a follicular epithelial origin.
Most reported cases are low-grade neoplasms with good long-term prognosis. However, a 2020 case of a 74-year-old patient with poorly differentiated mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid behaved aggressively, resulting in rapid decline and death. A 2019 report described a patient with a composite tumour consisting of poorly differentiated mucoepidermoid carcinoma and a follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma with malignant metastasis. The authors noted that securing a diagnosis and formulating an evidence-based treatment plan is challenging, and that for high-grade poorly differentiated cases, treatment options remain limited. There is no consensus on optimal treatment for this histological subtype.
No clinical trials, no drug interventions, and no survival or response rate data for any treatment appear in these abstracts. The exact pathophysiology of the disease remains unclear. What is still missing is any prospective study or registry that could establish treatment guidelines, any molecular profiling that might identify targetable alterations, and any systematic collection of outcomes from the few dozen reported cases to stratify patients by grade and stage. Without these, management remains anecdotal.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Cancer · 1977 · 107 citations · open access
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid gland
AbstractA 20-year-old euthyroid white woman presented with two palpable thyroid nodules. The scintiscan showed an area of increased uptake in the isthmus corresponding with one of the palpable nodules. The uptake in the rest of the gland was diminished including the area of the second palpable nodule which was in the superior portion of the left lobe. Microscopic examination revealed diffuse lymphocytic thyroiditis, follicular adenoma and the isthmus and mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the upper left lobe. No primary site for the muceopidermoid carcinoma outside the thyroid has been identified. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid gland has not previously been reported; the literature is briefly reviewed and etiologic considerations are discussed.
Primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma in the thyroid gland: A case report including an ultrastructural and biochemical study
AbstractAn extremely rare mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid gland was found in a 44-year-old woman. By light microscopic examination, the tumor consisted of mucous cells and squamoid cells, and was similar to that occurring in any other organs. By electron microscopic examination, the mucous cells displayed prominent mucous droplets, and showed no evidence of colloid production in their cytoplasms. Abundant tonofilaments in aggregates were observed in the squamoid cells. Biochemically, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were not detectable in the tissue of this tumor. These findings indicate that this mucoepidermoid carcinoma does not retain the functional properties of thyroid follicular cells; namely, no evidence was found to substantiate a follicular epithelial origin of this tumor.
BMJ Case Reports · 2020 · 13 citations · open access
Poorly differentiated mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid
AbstractMucoepidermoid carcinomas (MECs) are the most common malignant tumour of the salivary glands. MECs have also been reported to occur in atypical sites. Primary MECs of the thyroid gland are extremely rare, accounting for 0.5% of thyroid malignancies with approximately 48 cases reported in the literature. In most cases, these are low-grade neoplasms with good long-term prognosis. We present the case of a 74-year-old patient with poorly differentiated MEC of the thyroid gland, which behaved aggressively resulting in rapid decline and death of the patient. The exact pathophysiology of the disease remains unclear and there is no consensus on the optimal treatment for this histological subtype. Recognition and diagnosis of this rare neoplasm are important as this can help guide optimal treatment, although in high-grade poorly differentiated cases, treatment options remain limited.
Journal of Surgical Case Reports · 2019 · 7 citations · open access
Composite poorly differentiated mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid and follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Report of a case and review of the literature
AbstractMucoepidermoid variant of thyroid carcinoma is a rare and complex disease. Securing a diagnosis and formulating an evidence-based treatment plan is challenging. A case report of a patient with the dual pathology of a composite mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid and a follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma with malignant metastasis is presented in this article. We discuss the challenges in diagnosis, prognostic factors and management of this rare presentation by reviewing current literature.
Advances in Diabetes & Endocrinology · 2017 · 4 citations · open access
Conservative Management of Sclerosing Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma with Eosinophilia of the Thyroid Gland: 12 Years Follow-Up after an Atypical Initial Therapy
AbstractObjective: Sclerosing Mucoepidermoid Carcinomas (SMEC) are low-grade malignant tumors with both mucinous and squamous differentiation representing less than 1% of thyroid malignancies. SMEC are sometimes associated with Hashimotos thyroiditis and eosinophilia and are more common in females. In rare cases, they have showed a more aggressive behavior with local invasion of the surrounding tissues, trachea, esophagus, or lymph nodes. Distant metastasis to lungs, liver, mediastinum, and bone have also been described. SMEC are usually not responsive to Radioactive Iodine Ablation (RAIA). Despite the generally low risk of recurrence or death, total thyroidectomy and neck dissection is the recommended therapy. Methods: We report the case of a 41 year old female with a SMEC of the thyroid. Hemithyroidectomy without lymphadenectomy was performed. Pathology showed a nodule with a maximum diameter of 1.5 centimeters contacting the capsule. Tumor cells expressed TTF-1, CEA and CK7. No expression for thyroglobulin, calcitonin, cromogranin or CK20 was observed. Results: Complete resection of the thyroid was not performed in this case, and the patient was not treated with radioactive iodine postoperatively. After 12 years of follow-up, the patient did not develop residual disease, neither recurrent loco regional nor metastatic disease. Conclusion: Sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma was treated with hemithyroidectomy, no lymphadenectomy was performed. Despite the size of the nodule and the capsular invasion, the patient had a favourable outcome after a twelve year follow-up. This kind of approach should be taken into account in selected patients.
AbstractAn extremely rare mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid gland was found in a 44-year-old woman. By light microscopic examination, the tumor consisted of mucous cells and squamoid cells, and was similar to that occurring in any other organs. By electron microscopic examination, the mucous cells displayed prominent mucous droplets, and showed no evidence of colloid production in their cytoplasms. Abundant tonofilaments in aggregates were observed in the squamoid cells. Biochemically, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were not detectable in the tissue of this tumor. These findings indicate that this mucoepidermoid carcinoma does not retain the functional properties of thyroid follicular cells; namely, no evidence was found to substantiate a follicular epithelial origin of this tumor.
Archives of Head and Neck Surgery · 2018 · 0 citations · open access
Mucoepidermoid thyroid carcinoma combined with palate squamous cell carcinoma
AbstractMucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common malignant salivary gland tumor in the oral cavity. Primary thyroid involvement is rare, with few cases in the literature. The clinical case describes a patient with squamous cell carcinoma in the hard palate submitted to maxillectomy and lymphadenectomy. Invasion of the thyroid was observed during the surgery, so it was complemented with thyroidectomy. The histopathology resulted in squamous cell carcinoma of the palate with maxillary invasion, papillary carcinoma of the thyroid in the left lobe and mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid in the right lobe. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma has been found in association with other glandular epithelia of the head and neck.
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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