DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for uterine benign neoplasm — screening already-approved drugs against its 11-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleUterine benign neoplasm maps to a 11-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 uterine benign neoplasm 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
spectrin repeat containing nuclear envelope protein 1 (SYNE1) — SYNE1 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 pgedrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6R15 · 1.82 Å · ligand TRIETHYLENE GLYCOL (PGE). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
The 2011 exome sequencing study of 18 uterine leiomyomas from 17 patients found tumour-specific mutations in the MED12 gene in 10 of them. Analysis of 207 additional tumours showed that MED12 is altered in 70% (159 of 225) of tumours from a total of 80 patients. All mutations were in exon 2, suggesting that aberrant function of this region of MED12 contributes to tumour formation. The Mediator complex is a 26-subunit transcriptional regulator that bridges DNA regulatory sequences to the RNA polymerase II initiation complex.
A 2024 narrative review on uterine mesenchymal tumours notes that many of these neoplasms have overlapping morphologic similarities, which can render diagnosis and categorisation through histomorphologic examination inconclusive. The review states that an exponential amount of molecular data aiming to more accurately characterise and treat these tumours has accumulated in the last decade. It provides a pathologic review, a genetic update, and describes new therapeutic avenues for primary uterine mesenchymal neoplasms.
A 2015 review of current treatment approaches for uterine fibroids states that myoma uteri are the most common benign uterine tumours among women of reproductive age and are a public health problem worldwide. It reports that the place of medical treatment is limited due to side effects and drug costs, and that medical treatment is usually used temporarily before surgery. Surgical treatment should be individualised according to patient age, size and location of myoma. Treatment with interventional radiological methods is not common at the moment, though advantages include the lack of risk associated with surgery and a shorter time to return to normal life.
What is still missing is a clear molecular target for drug repurposing in benign uterine tumours beyond the MED12 mutation, which has not yet been linked to a specific approved drug. The 2024 review mentions new therapeutic avenues but does not name any repurposed drug or provide clinical trial results. No trial has tested a repurposed drug against MED12-mutant fibroids in a controlled setting. Patient stratification by MED12 mutation status has not been incorporated into any published treatment study. Funding for such a trial, and a trial design that accounts for the heterogeneity of fibroid size and location, remain 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.
Science · 2011 · 662 citations
<i>MED12</i> , the <i>Mediator Complex Subunit 12</i> Gene, Is Mutated at High Frequency in Uterine Leiomyomas
AbstractUterine leiomyomas, or fibroids, are benign tumors that affect millions of women worldwide and that can cause considerable morbidity. To study the genetic basis of this tumor type, we examined 18 uterine leiomyomas derived from 17 different patients by exome sequencing and identified tumor-specific mutations in the mediator complex subunit 12 (MED12) gene in 10. Through analysis of 207 additional tumors, we determined that MED12 is altered in 70% (159 of 225) of tumors from a total of 80 patients. The Mediator complex is a 26-subunit transcriptional regulator that bridges DNA regulatory sequences to the RNA polymerase II initiation complex. All mutations resided in exon 2, suggesting that aberrant function of this region of MED12 contributes to tumorigenesis.
Uterine Mesenchymal Tumors: Updates on Pathology, Molecular Landscape, and Therapeutics
AbstractBackground: Mesenchymal uterine tumors are a diverse group of neoplasms with varying biological potential. Many of these neoplasms can have overlapping morphologic similarities, which, in some instances, render their diagnosis and categorization thorough histomorphologic examination inconclusive. In the last decade, an exponential amount of molecular data aiming to more accurately characterize and, consequently, treat these tumors have accumulated. Objective: The goal of this narrative review is to provide a pathologic review, a genetic update, and to know the new therapeutic avenues of primary uterine mesenchymal neoplasms.
International Journal of Reproduction Contraception Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2019 · 2 citations · open access
Primary malignant melanoma of the uterine cervix treated with radical surgery and adjuvant chemo-radiation using temozolomide and cisplatin: a case report
AbstractPrimary malignant melanoma of the uterine cervix is a rare neoplasm and the overall prognosis of patients with this disease is very poor. Herein, authors report a case of 45-year-old woman who presented with vaginal bleeding for one months and examination showed an exophytic, 6 cm polypoid blackish-pigmented tumor on the cervix involving vaginal fornix. She underwent abdominal radical hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy and further received adjuvant concurrent chemo-radiation with cisplatin (CDDP) and temozolamide but died 7 months after surgery.
Medicine Science | International Medical Journal · 2015 · 0 citations · open access
Current Treatment Approaches of Uterine Fibroids
AbstractMyoma uteri are the most common benign uterine tumors among women of reproductive age . These benign tumors are a public health problem worldwide. There are many options for the treatment of uterine myoma. Place in medical treatment of uterine myoma treatment is limited due to side effects and drug costs. Medical treatment is usually used temporary in the form of before surgery. Surgical treatment of uterine myoma should be individualized according to patient age, size and location of myoma. Treatment with interventional radiological methods of uterine myoma is not common for the moment. Such as the lack of risk associated with surgery, shorter time to return to normal life is advantages of interventional radiological methods
Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences · 2021 · 0 citations · open access
Spontaneous Pregnancy following Treatment of Symptomatic Uterine Myomatosis with Ulipristal Acetate without Surgery
AbstractUterine fibroids are the most frequent gynaecological benign tumors in women of reproductive age and can cause infertility. Their treatment may be medical, surgical or a combination of both, but they may compromise future fertility in patients in which their wish to conceive has not yet been fulfilled. In this report we present two patients with symptomatic uterine myomas and who wanted to preserve their fertility. Treatment with one or two 12-week courses of 5 mg of ulipristal acetate was prescribed. A decrease in the size of the fibroids was observed, along with adequate control of the symptoms. Spontaneous pregnancies led to two live births without significant complications. Treatment with Ulipristal Acetate may be an effective option to take into account in the management of patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids who refuse surgery or in those in which it is contraindicated and who wish to preserve their fertility.
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.
