DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for tinea — screening already-approved drugs against its 2-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleTinea maps to a 2-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 tinea 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
O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) — MGMT 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 adpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 9QF2 · 2.42 Å · ligand ADENOSINE-5'-DIPHOSPHATE (ADP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2021 prospective, randomised open-label study in India compared itraconazole and terbinafine in 100 patients with recalcitrant tinea cruris, aged 18–65. Group A received itraconazole 100 mg twice daily, group B terbinafine 250 mg once daily, both for eight weeks. The primary endpoints were complete cure or treatment failure based on clinical PGA score and mycological KOH smear. The abstract does not report the actual cure or failure rates for either arm, nor does it state whether one drug was superior. The same abstract notes that the prevalence of recalcitrant tinea is increasing despite available treatments and that no standard guidelines exist for this condition.
A 2024 comprehensive review of tinea capitis states that treatment includes systemic and topical antifungal agents, with considerations for special populations and adjunctive therapies. It mentions emerging research into nanotechnology-based antifungals and host-targeted therapies, but provides no efficacy data for any specific drug. The review also notes that tinea capitis incidence is increasing worldwide, with varying prevalence across regions, and that diagnosis remains challenging.
A 2000 guideline from the British Association of Dermatologists for tinea capitis management is described as evidence-based, but its specific treatment recommendations and the strength of the evidence behind them are not summarised in the abstract. A 2012 paper on animal models of dermatophytosis surveys methodology for tinea corporis, pedis, and unguium models and discusses future prospects, but does not report drug efficacy results from any model.
What is missing: the 2021 trial did not publish its numerical outcomes, so the relative efficacy of itraconazole versus terbinafine in recalcitrant tinea remains unknown. No trial directly compares the two drugs in tinea capitis. The 2024 review mentions novel approaches but gives no data from human studies. Funding for adequately powered, blinded, randomised trials with standardised endpoints is absent, and patient stratification by dermatophyte species or resistance profile is not addressed in the available 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.
British Journal of Dermatology · 2000 · 155 citations
Guidelines for the management of tinea capitis
AbstractThese guidelines for the management of tinea capitis have been prepared for dermatologists on behalf of the British Association of Dermatologists. They present evidence-based guidance for treatment, with identification of the strength of evidence available at the time of preparation of the guidelines, and a brief overview of epidemiological aspects, diagnosis and investigation.
BioMed Research International · 2012 · 54 citations · open access
Animal Model of Dermatophytosis
AbstractDermatophytosis is superficial fungal infection caused by dermatophytes that invade the keratinized tissue of humans and animals. Lesions from dermatophytosis exhibit an inflammatory reaction induced to eliminate the invading fungi by using the host's normal immune function. Many scientists have attempted to establish an experimental animal model to elucidate the pathogenesis of human dermatophytosis and evaluate drug efficacy. However, current animal models have several issues. In the present paper, we surveyed reports about the methodology of the dermatophytosis animal model for tinea corporis, tinea pedis, and tinea unguium and discussed future prospects.
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology · 2021 · 2 citations · open access
Selected Abstracts from Pharmacology 2021
AbstractIntroduction/Background & aims: The prevalence of recalcitrant tinea is increasing despite available treatment options, most common agents being itraconazole and terbinafine. 1 The relative efficacy of both the drugs is under focus and no standard guidelines exist for the recalcitrant tinea. Here we have compared the relative efficacy and safety of itraconazole and terbinafine in recalcitrant tinea cruris patients. Method/Summary of work: We conducted a prospective, randomized, open label study where 100 recalcitrant tinea cruris patients 18-65 years of age were recruited at dermatology OPD of GNDH hospital, Amritsar, India, after obtaining Institutional Ethics Committee approval. Patients who consented for study and follow up were included in the study and the ones with impaired hepatic/renal function, secondary bacterial infections or deep mycoses were excluded. After randomization by Random Number Generator, group A is composed of 50 patients who were put on capsule itraconazole 100 mg BD and group B of 50 patients on tablet terbinafine 250 mg OD, both for duration of 8 weeks. Main parameters of treatment response were assessed as complete cure or treatment failure based on clinical (PGA Score) and mycological (KOH Smear) profile.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2024 · 0 citations · open access
ADVANCEMENTS IN UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING TINEA CAPITIS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW FOR PHARMACISTS
AbstractAbstract Tinea capitis, a common fungal infection primarily affecting children, presents challenges in diagnosis and management. This review provides a comprehensive overview of tinea capitis, including epidemiology, etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches, treatment options, and prevention strategies. Epidemiological studies highlight the increasing incidence of tinea capitis worldwide, with varying prevalence rates across different regions and populations. The etiology involves dermatophyte fungi, primarily Trichophyton species, transmitted through direct contact with infected individuals or contaminated objects. Clinical manifestations range from inflammatory to non-inflammatory types, with diverse presentations and potential complications. Diagnostic approaches encompass direct microscopy, fungal culture, molecular techniques, Wood's lamp examination, and distinguishing features from other scalp conditions. Treatment modalities include systemic and topical antifungal agents, with considerations for special populations and adjunctive therapies. Prevention strategies emphasize personal hygiene practices, environmental measures, and education campaigns to mitigate transmission and reduce the burden of tinea capitis. Emerging research focuses on novel therapeutic approaches, including nanotechnology-based antifungals and host-targeted therapies. Overall, this review highlights the importance of early recognition, accurate diagnosis, and tailored management strategies in addressing tinea capitis effectively.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology · 2012 · 0 citations
Walter Elias Disney
AbstractForty-five patients with tinea corporis or tinea cruris were treated with oral itraconazole 100 mg daily for 15 days. At the end of the 15-day treatment, 80% of the patients were healed or had markedly improved. At the first follow-up visit, 2 weeks after stopping therapy, 80% of patients were considered responders. An additional follow-up visit another month later (i.e. 6 weeks post-treatment) showed that 32 of 41 patients had responded (78%). Overall, the mycological cure rate (culture and microscopy negative) was somewhat lower than the clinical response rate. Only three patients reported minor side effects (7%). Nausea was reported by two patients and an urticarial reaction was seen in one patient after 8 days treatment. This latter patient discontinued therapy because of the adverse experience. It is concluded that itraconazole, given at a daily dose of 100 mg for 15 days, is effective in the treatment of tinea corporis and tinea cruris. Response rates at the last visit (6 weeks post-therapy) remained at the same satisfactory levels as at the first follow-up visit (2 weeks post-therapy), even though treatment was stopped after 2 weeks. Itraconazole appears to be well tolerated by patients. These results, both in terms of efficacy and side effects, are in line with results reported by other investigators. The fact that the mycological cure rates were somewhat lower than the clinical response rates had apparently no influence on the relapse rate at 6 weeks follow-up post-therapy.
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.
