DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for tick-borne relapsing fever — screening already-approved drugs against its 4-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleTick-borne relapsing fever maps to a 4-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
approvedDoxycyclineApproved drug
Structures already discussed alongside tick-borne relapsing fever in the retrieved literature, rendered from public PubChem SMILES. Which drugs appear here reflects the evidence found, not a ranked prediction.
Molecular view
Crystal structure of Alpha1-antichymotrypsin variant DBS-I1: a drug-binding serpin for doxycycline — Doxycycline has a real, experimentally solved structure in complex with this target (PDB 5OM2, 1.47 Å). This is the drug's own deposited structure, not a prediction, and confirms it is a structurally characterised molecule rather than an untested guess.
Loading structure…
helix sheet dxtdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 5OM2 · 1.47 Å · ligand Doxycycline (DXT). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In Mali, a 2012 survey of 20 villages found that 11.0% of 663 rodents and 14.3% of 63 shrews were seropositive for tick-borne relapsing fever spirochetes, and 2.2% of captured animals had active infections. In the Bandiagara region, seroprevalence reached 35% and active infection 10%; 17.3% of 278 Ornithodoros sonrai ticks there carried Borrelia crocidurae. The authors concluded that the potential for human infection exists across southern Mali, but no human case numbers from that survey were reported.
A 2020 observational study of 77 spelunkers at high risk for tick-borne relapsing fever found that a single 100 mg dose of doxycycline taken within 72 hours of tick exposure was 100% effective in preventing disease. The standard postexposure regimen had been five days of doxycycline. The study did not report any adverse events or failures, but it was observational, not a randomised trial.
A separate 2020 case series from Jerusalem covering 2004–2018 included 92 patients with tick-borne relapsing fever, 30 of them children. Children had more febrile episodes and lower inflammatory markers than adults. No treatment comparisons or prophylaxis data were given in that report.
A 1955 paper on aureomycin and terramycin for tick-borne relapsing fever is listed but its abstract provides no quantitative results. A 2015 review on tick control strategies notes that acaricide resistance has reduced the value of acaricides alone, that tick vaccines have not advanced since the early 1990s, and that integrated control combining vaccines, acaricides, and education is needed. No specific drug repurposing data for tick-borne relapsing fever appear in that review.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Endemic Foci of the Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever Spirochete Borrelia crocidurae in Mali, West Africa, and the Potential for Human Infection
AbstractBACKGROUND: Tick-borne relapsing fever spirochetes are maintained in endemic foci that involve a diversity of small mammals and argasid ticks in the genus Ornithodoros. Most epidemiological studies of tick-borne relapsing fever in West Africa caused by Borrelia crocidurae have been conducted in Senegal. The risk for humans to acquire relapsing fever in Mali is uncertain, as only a few human cases have been identified. Given the high incidence of malaria in Mali, and the potential to confuse the clinical diagnosis of these two diseases, we initiated studies to determine if there were endemic foci of relapsing fever spirochetes that could pose a risk for human infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated 20 villages across southern Mali for the presence of relapsing fever spirochetes. Small mammals were captured, thin blood smears were examined microscopically for spirochetes, and serum samples were tested for antibodies to relapsing fever spirochetes. Ornithodoros sonrai ticks were collected and examined for spirochetal infection. In total, 11.0% of the 663 rodents and 14.3% of the 63 shrews tested were seropositive and 2.2% of the animals had active spirochete infections when captured. In the Bandiagara region, the prevalence of infection was higher with 35% of the animals seropositive and 10% infected. Here also Ornithodoros sonrai were abundant and 17.3% of 278 individual ticks tested were infected with Borrelia crocidurae. Fifteen isolates of B. crocidurae were established and characterized by multi-locus sequence typing. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The potential for human tick-borne relapsing fever exists in many areas of southern Mali.
Revue Scientifique et Technique de l OIE · 2015 · 25 citations
Prevention and control strategies for ticks and pathogen transmission
AbstractTicks and tick-borne pathogens have evolved together, resulting in a complex relationship in which the pathogen's life cycle is perfectly coordinated with the tick's feeding cycle, and the tick can harbour high pathogen levels without affecting its biology. Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) continue to emerge and/or spread, and pose an increasing threatto human and animal health. The disruptive impacts of global change have resulted in ecosystem instability and the future outcomes of management and control programmes for ticks and TBDs are difficult to predict. In particular, the selection of acaricide-resistant ticks has reduced the value of acaricides as a sole means of tick control. Vaccines provide an alternative control method, but the use of tick vaccines has not advanced since the first vaccines were registered in the early 1990s. An understanding of the complex molecular relationship between hosts, ticks and pathogens and the use of systems biology and vaccinomics approaches are needed to discover proteins with the relevant biological function in tick feeding, reproduction, development, immune response, the subversion of host immunity and pathogen transmission, all of which mediate tick and pathogen success. The same approaches will also be required to characterise candidate protective antigens and to validate vaccine formulations. Tick vaccines with a dual effect on tick infestations and pathogen transmission could reduce both tick infestations and their vector capacity for humans, animals and reservoir hosts. The development of integrated tick control strategies, including vaccines and synthetic and botanical acaricides, in combination with managing drug resistance and educating producers, should lead to the sustainable control of ticks and TBDs.
Single Dose of Doxycycline for the Prevention of Tick-borne Relapsing Fever
AbstractThe current postexposure prophylaxis regimen for tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) consists of 5 days' doxycycline. In this observational study of 77 spelunkers at high risk for TBRF, a single dose of 100 mg doxycycline taken up to 72 hours after exposure to ticks was 100% effective in preventing the disease.
AbstractTo compare tickborne relapsing fever (TBRF) in children and adults in Jerusalem, Israel, we collected data from the medical records of all 92 patients with TBRF during 2004-2018. The 30 children with TBRF had more episodes of fever and lower inflammatory markers than adult patients.
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 1955 · 3 citations
The prevention and treatment of tick-borne relapsing fever with special reference to aureomycin and terramycin
AbstractJournal Article The prevention and treatment of tick-borne relapsing fever with special reference to aureomycin and terramycin Get access J.K.I. Cherry, M.D., D.P.H. J.K.I. Cherry, M.D., D.P.H. Medical Officer (Special Grade) Uganda Medical Service, Uganda Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Volume 49, Issue 6, November 1955, Pages 563–573, https://doi.org/10.1016/0035-9203(55)90028-6 Published: 01 November 1955
Investigations of Relapsing Fever at Home and Abroad
AbstractRelapsing fever is an ancient disease of humans first described by Hippocrates long before the development of the germ theory and achromatic microscopes that lay the foundation for the discovery of the causative agents. Two epidemiological forms of the disease exist; these include epidemic relapsing fever that is associated with only humans and the human body louse Pediculus humanus and endemic relapsing fever that is associated with enzootic cycles involving many species of wild animals and soft-bodied ticks in the family Argasidae [21].
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 1952 · 1 citations
Chloramphenicol (chloromycetin) in the treatment of experimental relapsing fever
AbstractWhite rats, monkeys and general paralytics infected with S. duttoni were treated with chloramphenicol. In animals the primary attack was shortened but relapses were not prevented. Two treated general paralytics failed to relapse, but they may have been partially immune. Treatment did not prevent residual brain infections in white rats. Certain criteria are suggested for judging the value of drugs in the treatment of tick-borne relapsing fever.
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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