DeCure's autonomous Metabolic AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for variegate porphyria — screening already-approved drugs against its 2-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleVariegate porphyria maps to a 2-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 variegate porphyria 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
protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPOX) — PPOX 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 trifluoromethyldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 3NKS · 1.9 Å · ligand 5-[2-CHLORO-4-(TRIFLUOROMETHYL)PHENOXY]-2-NITROBENZOIC ACID (ACJ). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology · 1998 · 34 citations
Variegate Porphyria: Past, Present and Future
AbstractVariegate porphyria, one of the acute hepatic porphyrias, is characterized by a partial reduction in protoporphyrinogen oxidase, the seventh enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway. For a long time, this disease has caused confusion among the porphyrias because it presents with clinical symptoms and biochemical findings that can be similar to those found in other types of porphyrias. Here, we provide an overview of historical, clinical, biochemical, genetical, and other aspects of variegate porphyria that might be helpful in providing more insight into this rare disorder.
Muskelrelaxation mit Atracurium bei Porphyria variegata - Kasuistische Bemerkungen
AbstractA case is presented involving the use of atracurium (120 mg) as a muscle relaxant in a patient with known variegate porphyria. The concentrations of urinary porphyrins and porphyrin precursors did not increase after this anaesthetic, and no exacerbation of the disease was noted. This single case suggests that atracurium can be used safely in patients with porphyria.
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.
