DeCure's autonomous Neuro AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for ulnar neuropathy — 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 moduleUlnar neuropathy 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 ulnar neuropathy 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
nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1 (NR3C1) — NR3C1 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 7KW7 · 3.57 Å · ligand ADENOSINE-5'-DIPHOSPHATE (ADP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a prospective randomised controlled trial of 152 patients with idiopathic ulnar neuropathy at the elbow, simple decompression and anterior subcutaneous transposition produced equivalent clinical outcomes at one year: excellent or good results in 49 of 75 patients after simple decompression and in 54 of 77 after transposition, with no statistically significant difference. The complication rate was lower after simple decompression (9.6%) than after transposition (31.1%), with a risk ratio of 0.32. Duration of symptoms, nerve subluxation, and severity of complaints did not influence outcome. The authors concluded that simple decompression is advised because it is simpler and has fewer complications, even when subluxation is present.
A five-centre prospective study of 58 patients treated with simple decompression found that the greatest improvement in patient-reported questionnaire scores occurred in the first six weeks after surgery and reached a plateau by three months. Measured strength and sensory recovery, however, continued over twelve months. In a separate small series of seven patients with mild ulnar neuropathy treated with ultrasound-guided steroid injection, four improved at six weeks, two were stable, and one reported increased symptoms. The authors described the injection as safe and possibly effective but noted that further investigation is needed to prove efficacy.
A cohort study of 324 patients with nerve-conduction-confirmed ulnar neuropathy and 396 patients with ulnar neuropathy-like symptoms but normal nerve conduction studies found that both groups had more severe symptoms and disability at follow-up than age- and sex-matched referents. Abnormal nerve conduction studies indicated a poorer prognosis for symptom severity (odds ratio 1.44) but not for disability. High occupational force requirements were associated with worse symptom severity (odds ratio 1.78) and disability (odds ratio 1.66). Current smoking, obesity, distal upper-extremity fractures, female sex, and a more recent nerve conduction study date (suggesting improvement over time) were also negative prognostic factors.
What remains missing are adequately powered randomised trials comparing steroid injection with placebo or surgery, prospective studies that stratify patients by occupational exposures and lifestyle factors to test whether modifying those factors improves prognosis, and long-term follow-up data beyond one year for any intervention.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Neurosurgery · 2005 · 281 citations
Prospective Randomized Controlled Study Comparing Simple Decompression versus Anterior Subcutaneous Transposition for Idiopathic Neuropathy of the Ulnar Nerve at the Elbow: Part 1
AbstractOBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to compare the clinical outcome of participants treated by simple decompression (SD) of the ulnar nerve versus anterior subcutaneous transposition (AST). METHODS: A prospective randomized controlled study was performed. Three hundred forty participants were referred to our institution between March 1999 and July 2002. One hundred fifty-two patients met the inclusion criteria and were randomized into two surgical groups: 75 were assigned to SD, and 77 were assigned to AST. Participants were followed for 1 year after surgery. The main outcome measure was clinical outcome 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: An excellent or good result was obtained in 49 of 75 participants who underwent SD and in 54 of 77 participants undergoing AST. The difference was not statistically significant. However, the complication rate was statistically lower in the SD group (9.6%) compared with the AST group (31.1%) (risk ratio, 0.32; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.69). Duration of symptoms, (sub)luxation of the ulnar nerve, and severity of the complaints did not influence outcome. CONCLUSION: Surgery for ulnar neuropathy at the elbow is effective. The outcomes of SD and AST are equivalent, except for the complication rate. Because the intervention is simpler and associated with fewer complications, SD is advised, even in the presence of (sub)luxation.
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery · 2013 · 44 citations
Trend of Recovery after Simple Decompression for Treatment of Ulnar Neuropathy at the Elbow
AbstractBACKGROUND: Although numerous studies have investigated long-term outcomes after surgical treatment of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow with simple decompression, no study has evaluated the trend of postoperative recovery. The authors assessed timing of recovery after simple decompression for ulnar neuropathy at the elbow. METHODS: The five-center Surgery of the Ulnar Nerve Study Group prospectively recruited 58 consecutive subjects with ulnar neuropathy at the elbow and treated them with simple decompression. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Patient-rated outcomes questionnaires included the Michigan Hand Questionnaire; the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire; and the Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. Functional tests used were grip strength, key pinch strength, two-point discrimination, and Semmes-Weinstein monofilament testing. Postoperative improvement was assessed at each time point to establish the trend of recovery in reaching a plateau. RESULTS: Significant patient-reported symptomatic and functional recovery occurred over the first 6 weeks postoperatively as represented by improvements in questionnaire scores. Symptomatic recovery occurred earlier than functional recovery as measured by sensory and strength testing and the work domain of the Michigan Hand Questionnaire. Improvement in patient-reported outcomes continued and reached a plateau at 3 months, whereas measured strength and sensory recovery continued over 12 months. CONCLUSION: The greatest clinical improvement after simple decompression for ulnar neuropathy at the elbow, according to questionnaire scores, occurs in the first 6 weeks postoperatively and reaches a plateau by 3 months.
Ultrasound‐guided steroid injection to treat mild ulnar neuropathy at the elbow
AbstractThere exists no "gold standard" in the treatment of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE). We treated 7 patients with mild UNE using a local steroid injection with ultrasonographic monitoring. At clinical follow-up after 6 weeks, 4 patients had improved, 2 were stable, and 1 reported an increase in symptoms. Ultrasound-guided steroid injection in mild UNE is safe and could be effective. Further investigation is needed to prove its efficacy.
Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health · 2013 · 21 citations · open access
Prognosis of ulnar neuropathy and ulnar neuropathy-like symptoms in relation to occupational biomechanical exposures and lifestyle
AbstractOBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to identify prognostic factors for severity of symptoms and disability among patients with ulnar neuropathy confirmed by nerve conduction studies (NCS) or ulnar neuropathy-like symptoms with normal ulnar nerve NCS. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study based on a matched case-referent study. In 2008, we mailed a questionnaire to 1179 patients who were examined by NCS for suspected ulnar neuropathy at the age of ≥ 18 - < 65 years, 2001-2007. Potential prognostic factors included occupational biomechanical exposures, lifestyle factors, and NCS result. Outcomes were severity of symptoms and disability according to questionnaire scores. Referents delivered reference values. We used ordinal logistic regression. RESULTS: The percentage of those responding was 61%, comprising 324 patients with ulnar neuropathy and 396 with ulnar neuropathy-like symptoms. At follow-up, both patient groups had more severe symptoms and disability than age and sex matched referents. Abnormal NCS indicated a poorer prognosis regarding symptom severity [odds ratio (OR) 1.44, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.01-2.01], but not disability (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.57-1.08). High occupational force requirements indicated a poorer prognosis regarding both symptom severity (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.10-2.88) and disability (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.06-2.59). Other negative prognostic factors for both outcomes were current smoking, obesity, distal upper-extremity fractures, female sex, and a recent NCS date (suggesting improvement over time). CONCLUSIONS: NCS confirmation of ulnar neuropathy identified patients with a poorer prognosis regarding symptoms. A negative impact of high occupational force requirements, current smoking, and obesity on both outcomes suggested that reduction of these factors might improve prognosis of ulnar neuropathy and ulnar neuropathy-like symptoms.
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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