A CARM1-targeted therapeutic peptide suppresses breast cancer progression both in vitro and in vivo

Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1/PRMT4) is well-known for its essential physiological functions and its pivotal role in the development and progression of various cancers. Targeted inhibition of CARM1 activity has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer treatment. Herein, we report a peptide inhibitor of CARM1 designated as Pi-CARM1, which demonstrates high selectivity for CARM1. The cell-permeable variant, Pi-CARM1 modified with Trans-Activator of Transcription sequence (Pi-CARM1-TAT), effectively inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation in vitro and significantly reduces tumor growth in mouse models of breast cancer. Mechanistically, Pi-CARM1-TAT recapitulates the impact of CARM1 on the expression of oncogenic estrogen/ERα-target genes, as well as type I interferon (IFN) and IFN-induced genes (ISGs) in breast cancer cells. Notably, the combination of Pi-CARM1-TAT with endocrine therapy drugs or etoposide shows synergistic effects in inhibiting breast tumorigenesis. Furthermore, Pi-CARM1-TAT effectively overcomes endocrine therapy resistance in ER-positive breast cancer cells. In conclusion, we present a novel peptide inhibitor of CARM1, which provides valuable insights and may offer therapeutic potential for the development of CARM1-targeted treatments in breast cancer.