DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for urolithiasis — screening already-approved drugs against its 38-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleUrolithiasis maps to a 38-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 urolithiasis 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
ribokinase (RBKS) — RBKS 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 anpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 9CVB · 1.45 Å · ligand PHOSPHOAMINOPHOSPHONIC ACID-ADENYLATE ESTER (ANP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2017 systematic review of surgical treatment trends from 1996 to 2016, covering six countries (United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Brazil), found that ureteroscopy (URS) increased by 251.8% in total number of treatments, with its share of total treatments rising by 17%. The share of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) remained static, while the share of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy fell by 14.5% and open surgery fell by 12%. The rising trend for URS was statistically significant (p < 0.001).
A 2014 study of 57 patients with recurrent urolithiasis (56 male, mean BMI 27 kg/m²) who received both specific pharmacological treatment and individualised dietary advice based on their metabolic disorders found that urinary excretion of calcium, uric acid and sodium decreased significantly over five years of follow-up. The number of stones that formed during that five-year period also decreased significantly compared to pre-treatment values. The authors concluded that combined therapy significantly reduces long-term recurrence.
A 2005 review describes urolithiasis as a derangement of biomineralisation involving an imbalance between promoters and inhibitors of crystallisation, and notes that genetic factors have been postulated to play an important role. A 2014 review states that prevalence is growing annually and that the study of the disease has reached a new level due to multidisciplinary approaches and evidence-based medicine. A 2019 review acknowledges that conventional drugs have many adverse side effects and that herbal or natural medicines require scientific support and standardisation for quality and dosage assessment. A 2023 Korean Society of Endourology and Robotics recommendation offers evidence-based answers to 28 key clinical questions on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
What is still missing is large-scale, long-term randomised trial data comparing the combined pharmacological and dietary approach against either component alone, and standardised formulations for any herbal alternatives. Patient stratification by genetic or metabolic subtype also remains largely unaddressed in the published evidence.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Journal of Endourology · 2017 · 299 citations
Worldwide Trends of Urinary Stone Disease Treatment Over the Last Two Decades: A Systematic Review
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Numerous studies have reported on regional or national trends of stone disease treatment. However, no article has yet examined the global trends of intervention for stone disease. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A systematic review of articles from 1996 to September 2016 for all English language articles reporting on trends of surgical treatment of stone disease was performed. Authors were contacted in the case of data not being clear. If the authors did not reply, data were estimated from graphs or tables. Results were analyzed using SPSS version 21, and trends were analyzed using linear regression. RESULTS: Our systematic review yielded 120 articles, of which 8 were included in the initial review. This reflected outcomes from six countries with available data: United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Brazil. Overall ureteroscopy (URS) had a 251.8% increase in total number of treatments performed with the share of total treatments increasing by 17%. While the share of total treatments for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) remained static, the share for extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy and open surgery fell by 14.5% and 12%, respectively. There was significant linear regression between rising trends of total treatments year on year for URS (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In the last two decades, the share of total treatment for urolithiasis across the published literature has increased for URS, stable for PCNL, and decreased for lithotripsy and open surgery.
Cellular and Molecular Gateways to Urolithiasis: A New Insight
AbstractUrolithiasis is a relevant clinical problem in everyday practice with a subsequent burden for the health system. Urolithiasis is classically explained as the derangement in the process of biomineralization involving the equilibrium between promoters and inhibitors of crystallization: a deficit of one or several inhibitors or an excess of one or several promoters plays a pivotal role in the stone formation. The revolutionary introduction of the molecular biology in medicine has given a new insight in urolithiasis too. Genetic factors have also been postulated to play an important role. A review of the current knowledge on urolithiasis based upon a molecular and genetic approach is reported.
Journal of Environmental Pathology Toxicology and Oncology · 2019 · 25 citations
Role of Herbal Medicine in the Management of Urolithiasis— A Review for Future Perspectives
AbstractBACKGROUND: Urolithiasis is the most common renal system pathology; it affects the health of a many people. Because urolithiasis leads to severe pain, it influences the patient in many aspects. The management of urolithiasis is essential. Herein, we discuss the limitations of the management of urolithiasis with conventional drugs and the possibilities of using natural or herbal pharmacologically active agents beyond conventional drugs. PURPOSE: The drugs presently used for the treatment of urolithiasis have many adverse side effects; therefore, alternatives are needed. Traditional literature suggests that many herbal or natural medicines can be easily made available for the management of urolithiasis and its consequences. METHOD: The data used for this study were collected from various research /review articles, Internet sources, and text books. Literature regarding epidemiology and pharmacological studies performed by various researchers were taken into consideration in this review. The data from the last few decades, reported in different formats, were analyzed. CONCLUSION: The present review reveals the severity of the progression of the occurrence of urolithiasis worldwide. The epidemiology gave in this review clearly indicates that stress-related factors and dietary complications, the key factors in the development of urolithiasis. are increasing. In this review, we acknowledge the limitations of conventional therapy. Many natural drug options are abundantly available throughout the world and can be useful for the management of urolithiasis. Future Perspectives: The development of a suitable formulation of bioactive components obtained from natural sources is being widely researched. However, traditional remedies that are very helpful in the management of urolithiasis and its related complications require scientific support and appropriate standardization for the assessment of their quality and dosage.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences · 2017 · 25 citations · open access
Urolithiasis: An Update on Diagnostic Modalities and Treatment Protocols
AbstractUrolithiasis or urinary stone disease is a ubiquitous affliction that spares no geographical region or demographic. Plenty of research is being carried out in quest for mitigating this disease condition. However, any detailed information that could impart knowledge on all the major aspects of the subject in an un-fractionated form is still deficient. This review is an attempt to revive the existing knowledge on urolithiasis, basically focused on its diagnosis and treatment, and to provide a comprehensive data and up-to-date information on the subject matter. This article also focuses on synthetic drugs and formulations available for the treatment of urolithiasis in the global market and provides a section pertaining to risk factors and dietary preventive measures for urolithiasis.
Investigative and Clinical Urology · 2023 · 22 citations · open access
Korean Society of Endourology and Robotics (KSER) recommendation on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of urolithiasis
AbstractThis article provides evidence-based recommendations and expert opinions to aid urologists in making optimal decisions regarding managing urolithiasis in various clinical scenarios. The most frequently asked questions by urologists in their clinical practice have been collected and answered in the form of FAQs; based on the latest evidence and expert opinions. The natural history of urolithiasis is divided into active treatment and silent phases, with the active treatment stage divided into typical and special situations and peri-treatment management. The authors address 28 key questions, offering practical guidance for the proper diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of urolithiasis in clinical practice. This article is expected to be served as a valuable resource for urologists.
Influence of clinical therapy and nutritional counseling on the recurrence of urolithiasis
AbstractPURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of combined clinical therapy and nutritional guidance on the recurrence of urolithiasis. METHODS: From our registry of patients with recurrent urolithiasis we selected 57 who had at least 5-years of follow-up. We collected 24h urine samples in order to analyze Ca, Na, uric acid, citrate, oxalate, and Mg concentrations and to assess urine volume. Patients filled out a clinical questionnaire before treatment, and abdominal radiographs and/or ultrasound were performed both before treatment and during the follow-up period. During follow-up, specific and individualized dietary advice was given based on the individual's metabolic disorders. Patients also received specific pharmacological treatment for their metabolic alterations. Outcome measures were metabolites in urine and the urolith recurrence rate. Pre- and post- intervention values were compared using tests as appropriate. RESULTS: Fifty six of the patients were male and the majority of patients were overweight. The mean BMI was 27 kg/m(2). Urinary excretion of calcium, uric acid and sodium decreased significantly over the five year follow-up period. The number of uroliths that formed during the 5-year follow-up also decreased significantly compared to pre-treatment values. CONCLUSION: Individualized dietary advice combined with pharmacological treatment significantly reduces long-term urolithiasis recurrence.
Modern aspects of the etiology and pathogenesis of urolithiasis
AbstractUrolithiasis is one of the most actual public health problems world-wide, its prevalence is growing annually. Study of the problem of urolithiasis appeared in recent years to a new level due to changes in the multidisciplinary approach and the principles of evidence-based medicine. Expanding the study of etiology and pathogenesis of the disease, development and application of high-tech diagnostic and treatment methods have enabled solve many problems and deliver new ones, identify prospects for future scientific and practical works. The article provides an overview of modern data concerning the etiology and pathogenesis of urolithiasis.
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.
