DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Transitional Cell Carcinoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 26-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleTransitional Cell Carcinoma maps to a 26-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
approvedPaclitaxelApproved drug
Structures already discussed alongside transitional cell carcinoma in the retrieved literature, rendered from public PubChem SMILES. Which drugs appear here reflects the evidence found, not a ranked prediction.
Molecular view
Refined structure of alpha-beta tubulin from zinc-induced sheets stabilized — Paclitaxel has a real, experimentally solved structure in complex with this target (PDB 1JFF, 3.5 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 ta1drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 1JFF · 3.5 Å · ligand Paclitaxel (TA1). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a 1983 randomised trial of 90 patients with superficial transitional cell carcinoma, 29 of 45 patients assigned to prophylactic thiotepa had a recurrence, compared with 34 of 45 controls. Twenty-four patients died, but the abstract does not separate cancer deaths from other causes. The study reports the influence of initial stage, grade, carcinoma in situ and positive cytology on outcome, but gives no survival curves or hazard ratios.
A 1976 retrospective review of 1,518 cases treated with supervoltage radiotherapy reports an appreciable salvage rate for recurrent disease, but the abstract provides no numerical response or survival data. The authors note that many patients died of other causes, that selection bias and staging differences make comparisons difficult, and that a T3 subgroup was identified as high risk for distant metastases. They suggest adjunctive therapy for occult metastases but do not test one.
A 2008 review of systemic therapy for unresectable or metastatic disease states that a phase III trial comparing paclitaxel, cisplatin and gemcitabine with gemcitabine plus cisplatin found no survival difference. A phase II study of trastuzumab, carboplatin, gemcitabine and paclitaxel in HER2/neu-positive patients reported promising results, but the abstract gives no response rates or survival figures. The review concludes that recent data do not support changing the standard of care. The 1992 and 2022 abstracts describe genetic alterations—deletions on chromosomes 9q, 9p, 11p, 17p, 13q, 14q, and overexpression of RAS and EGFR—but neither tests a targeted therapy.
What is missing: no prospective trial has shown that any drug regimen improves survival in advanced transitional cell carcinoma beyond the gemcitabine–cisplatin baseline. The trastuzumab combination was tested only in a phase II, non-randomised setting. No biomarker-stratified trial has validated the genetic markers described. Funding for adequately powered, randomised studies that stratify by molecular subtype or prior treatment history remains absent.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
The Journal of Urology · 1983 · 109 citations
Long-term Fate of 90 Patients with Superficial Bladder Cancer Randomly Assigned to Receive or not to Receive Thiotepa
AbstractWe assigned randomly 90 patients treated previously for superficial transitional cell carcinoma to conventional followup or prophylactic treatment. This followup study details the late incidence of recurrence (29 of 45 patients in the prophylactic group and 34 of 45 controls), the progression of tumor grade and stage, the deaths and causes (24 patients), and the influence of initial stage, grade, carcinoma in situ and positive cytology on the outcome of treatment.
Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Recurrent Bladder Cancer
AbstractSummary A retrospective review of 1,518 cases of transitional cell carcinoma treated by supervoltage irradiation is presented. The majority of patients had recurrent disease after previous treatment. An appreciable salvage rate has been achieved. A “high risk” group for distant metastases has been identified (T3) and the suggestion is made that adjunctive therapy be employed to deal with occult metastases. The place of preoperative irradiation in Stage T2 tumours has been referred to. It is recognised that this is an ageing population. Many die not of their cancer but from other causes. It is difficult to compare these results with others published because of problems in selection and differences in staging the tumours. We wish to thank the numerous consulting urologists who have assisted in evaluating these patients. We thank also Miss Teresa Chua and Dr DeBoer for the statistical help. This study was done with a grant from the Ontario Cancer Foundation.
Seminars in Surgical Oncology · 1992 · 3 citations
Genetics of transitional cell carcinoma
AbstractSeveral models of genetic events which define the origin and progression of human tumors have been elucidated over the last several years. These models suggest that the study of tumors at the level of both the chromosome and the gene can be useful in elucidating molecular events in tumor progression and in determining the biologic behavior of individual tumors. The genetics of transitional cell carcinomas are reviewed with emphasis on potential mechanisms of tumorigenicity and the clinical utility of genetic markers.
Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care · 2008 · 1 citations
Systemic therapy for unresectable and metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium: first-line and beyond
AbstractPURPOSE OF REVIEW: The review aims to provide an overview of recent advances and future research direction in the management of patients with advanced transitional cell carcinoma. RECENT FINDINGS: Early data of the randomized phase III study comparing paclitaxel, cisplatin, and gemcitabine with gemcitabine plus cisplatin for advanced urothelial cancer detected no survival difference. A phase II study investigated the safety and efficacy of trastuzumab, carboplatin, gemcitabine, and paclitaxel in human epidermal growth factor receptor-2/neu-positive advanced urothelial carcinoma and reported promising results. Renal-sparing regimens are under active development. A nonrandomized comparison of the 3-week with the 4-week schedule for gemcitabine and cisplatin showed that the 3-week schedule had less hematological toxicity and better dose intensity. Potential molecular markers such as excision repair cross-complementation group 1, emmprin, and survivin for survival and/or platinum resistance in patients with transitional cell carcinoma showed promise. SUMMARY: Recent data do not support change in the current standard of care for advanced transitional cell carcinoma. Clinical testing of emerging anticancer therapies using new agents, new combinations, and new approaches is under active investigation. Rational combination and new strategy in clinical trial design are critical for new drug development for transitional cell carcinoma.
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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