DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for urinary bladder carcinoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 47-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleUrinary bladder carcinoma maps to a 47-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
approvedDocetaxelApproved drug
Structures already discussed alongside urinary bladder carcinoma in the retrieved literature, rendered from public PubChem SMILES. Which drugs appear here reflects the evidence found, not a ranked prediction.
Molecular view
TUBULIN ALPHA-BETA DIMER, ELECTRON DIFFRACTION — Docetaxel has a real, experimentally solved structure in complex with this target (PDB 1TUB, 3.7 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.
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helix sheet txldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 1TUB · 3.7 Å · ligand Docetaxel (TXL). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
For muscle-invasive bladder cancer, concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) as a bladder-sparing treatment was assessed in a retrospective multicentre series of 259 patients treated between 2010 and 2020. The regimen was 66 Gy (or biologically equivalent) plus either mitomycin C with fluorouracil or capecitabine, or cisplatinum. The two-year locoregional disease-free survival estimate was 82% (95% CI 77–88%). Complete response was achieved in 77% of patients. Two-year disease-specific survival was 82% (95% CI 77–88%), overall survival was 76% (95% CI 70–82%), and bladder intact event-free survival was 75% (95% CI 69–82%). Forty-three patients (17%) experienced a severe adverse event of grade 3 or higher. The authors note the limitations of retrospective design and heterogeneous administration of CRT.
A much older case series of 23 bladder cancer patients treated between 1998 and 2008 reported substantially worse outcomes. Of 21 patients followed for 5 months to 10 years, one-year survival was 47% (10 cases), two-year survival was 33% (7 cases), and five-year survival was 19% (4 cases). All patients surviving more than five years had early-stage disease. The authors concluded that early diagnosis and suitable operation improve prognosis.
A 2011 review states that gemcitabine and cisplatin is the standard first-line treatment for fit patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma of the bladder, but that optimal second-line therapy remains undefined and targeted agents are under investigation. A 2013 book summarises molecular and genetic understanding of bladder cancer and notes potential targets for future therapy.
What is still missing are prospective, randomised trials comparing CRT regimens directly, and data from adequately powered studies that stratify patients by molecular subtype or genomic markers. No targeted therapy has yet been validated in a phase III trial for this disease. The evidence for second-line chemotherapy 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.
British Journal of Cancer · 2005 · 65 citations · open access
Gemcitabine and docetaxel as first-line treatment for advanced urothelial carcinoma: a phase II study
AbstractThe purpose of the study was to investigate the toxicity and efficacy of the combination of gemcitabine and docetaxel in untreated advanced urothelial carcinoma. Patients with previously untreated, locally advanced/recurrent or metastatic urothelial carcinoma stage-IV disease were eligible. Patients with Performance status: PS ECOG >3 or age >75 years or creatinine clearance <50 ml min(-1) were excluded. Study treatment consisted of docetaxel 75 mg m(-2) (day 8) and gemcitabine 1000 mg m(-2) (days 1+8), every 21 days for a total of six to nine cycles. A total of 31 patients with urothelial bladder cancer, 25 men and six women, aged 42-74 (median 64) years were enrolled. The majority of patients had a good PS (51.6%; PS 0). In all, 15 (48.3%) patients had locally advanced or recurrent disease only and 16 (54.8%) presented with distant metastatic spread, with multiple site involvement in 22.5%. Toxicity was primarily haematologic, and the most frequent grade 3-4 toxicities were anaemia 11 (6.7%) thrombocytopenia eight (4.9%), and neutropenia 45 (27.6%), with 10 (6.1%) episodes of febrile neutropenia. No toxic deaths occurred. A number of patients had some cardiovascular morbidity (38.7%). Nonhaematological toxicities except alopecia (29 patients) were mild. Overall response rate was 51.6%, including four complete responses (12.9%) and 12 partial responses (38.7%), while a further five patients had disease stabilisation (s.d. 16.1%). The median time to progression was 8 months (95% CI 5.1-9.2 months) and the median overall survival was 15 months (95% CI 11.2-18.5 months), with 1-year survival rate of 60%. In conclusion, this schedule of gemcitabine and docetaxel is very active and well tolerated as a first-line treatment for advanced/relapsing or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Although its relative efficacy and tolerance as compared to classic MVAC should be assessed in a phase III setting, the favourable toxicity profile of this regimen may offer an interesting alternative, particularly in patients with compromised renal function or cardiovascular disease.
The Scientific World JOURNAL · 2011 · 22 citations · open access
Update on Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Urothelial Carcinoma
AbstractUrothelial carcinoma is the fifth most common malignancy diagnosed each year in the United States. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy are given to decrease the risk of recurrent or metastatic disease with the more robust clinical data supporting the former. Bladder preservation utilizes a trimodality approach with maximal transurethral resection followed by concurrent chemotherapy and radiation and is appropriate for select patients. Gemcitabine and cisplatin is the current standard of care for first-line treatment in fit patients with metastatic disease. Optimal second-line therapy remains undefined, and targeted agents are under investigation. Clinical trial participation should be encouraged in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder to help improve treatment regimens and outcomes. Synopsis. Chemotherapy is commonly used in the treatment of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. This paper will review the role of chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant, bladder sparing, and metastatic settings.
European Urology Open Science · 2022 · 9 citations · open access
A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Series of Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer Patients Treated with Definitive Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Daily Practice
AbstractBackground: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) as a definitive treatment option for patients with nonmetastatic muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma (MIBC) is increasingly being applied in clinical practice. Objective: To assess the oncological and toxicity outcomes in a contemporary cohort of nonmetastatic MIBC patients treated with concurrent CRT in daily practice. Design setting and participants: Patients with nonmetastatic MIBC (cT2-4aN0M0) who had received CRT with curative intent between January 2010 and April 2020 in three centers were retrospectively identified. The CRT consisted of 66 Gy (or biologically equivalent) plus either mitomycin C and fluorouracil/capecitabine or cisplatinum. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: The primary endpoint was the 2-yr locoregional disease-free survival (LDFS) estimate. Secondary endpoints were complete response, disease-specific survival (DSS), overall survival (OS), bladder intact event-free survival (BI-EFS), and severe adverse events (<90 d of starting CRT). Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox multivariable regression analyses were performed. Results and limitations: = 0.024). The 2-yr BI-EFS was 75% (95% CI 69-82%). Forty-three (17%) patients experienced a severe adverse event (grade ≥3). Limitations include retrospective design and heterogeneous administration of CRT. Conclusions: Concurrent CRT is a safe and effective treatment modality for nonmetastatic MIBC. Patient summary: Chemoradiotherapy for the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma is increasingly being applied. In this study, we reviewed the outcomes of this bladder-sparing treatment using a series of patients treated in three hospitals in daily practice. We found that administration of chemoradiotherapy can be safe and effective.
Advances in the Scientific Evaluation of Bladder Cancer and Molecular Basis for Diagnosis and Treatment
AbstractBladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world affecting more than 300,000 men and women worldwide. This book summarizes the vast breadth of current understanding of the molecular and genetic processes involved in carcinogenesis of the bladder, carcinoma in-situ and treatment modalities of muscle invasive disease, immune-therapy and potential targets for future therapy.
The diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer: report of 23 cases
AbstractObjective To improve diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer. Method From January 1998 to October 2008, 23 cases of bladder cancer with clinical data were reviewed. Results Two patients were lost to follow-up, 21 patients were followed up from 5 months to 10 years,with one-year survival in 10 cases (47%), two-year survival in 7 patients (33%), five-year survival in 4 cases (19%) . All patients Survived more than 5 years were in with early stage. Conclusions Early diagnosis and suitable operation mode can help to improve the prognosis of patients.
Key words:
bladder cancer; adenocarcinoma; treatment
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.
