Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41507994›Full record

ArticleExperimental hematology & oncology2026

Synthetic essentiality of isoprenylcysteine carboxylmethyltransferase in PTEN deficient triple negative breast cancer.

Byung-Sun Park, Jaeyeol Kim, Dong-Chan Seo, Ga-Eun Choi, Jin-Ju Seo, Seung Eun Lee, Tackhoon Kim

Abstract readLetter
In one paragraph

Article in Experimental hematology & oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Byung-Sun ParkMedicinal Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Hwarangro14gil, SeongbukGu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
Jaeyeol KimMedicinal Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Hwarangro14gil, SeongbukGu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
Dong-Chan SeoResearch Animal Resources Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Hwarangro14gil, SeongbukGu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
Ga-Eun ChoiMedicinal Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Hwarangro14gil, SeongbukGu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
Jin-Ju SeoTechnological Convergence Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Hwarangro14gil, SeongbukGu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
Seung Eun LeeResearch Animal Resources Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Hwarangro14gil, SeongbukGu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea. selee@kist.re.kr.
Tackhoon KimMedicinal Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Hwarangro14gil, SeongbukGu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea. tackhoon@kist.re.kr.

Funding

Korea Institute of Science and Technology 2E33761Korea Institute of Science and Technology 2V09745National Research Council of Science and Technology CAP23011-000National Research Foundation of Korea RS-2024-00400042National Research Foundation of Korea RS-2024-00452719
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

PTEN deficiency is frequently observed in various cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer. However, PTEN loss-of-function mutations are not directly druggable, necessitating a synthetic lethality approach for treating PTEN-deficient tumors. Utilizing combinatorial CRISPR screening, we identified ICMT (isoprenylcysteine carboxylmethyltransferase) loss as synthetic lethal with PTEN deficiency. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of ICMT effectively reversed cellular transformation induced by PTEN loss. Mechanistically, ICMT loss disrupts the positive feedback loop involving PIP3-PIP3-dependent guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF)-Rac1-PI3K by increased physical association of Rac1 and RhoGDI, inhibiting Rac1 activity and stability. Disruption of this feedback loop attenuates epithelial-mesenchymal transition and reduces the cancer stem cell population. Additionally, ICMT loss leads to the accumulation of aggregated proteins, which activates the unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling, ultimately resulting in cell death. Cysmethynil, an ICMT inhibitor, effectively suppresses PTEN-mutant cancer growth in xenograft models. Collectively, our study establishes ICMT as a promising therapeutic target for treating PTEN-mutant cancers.

Identifiers

PMID41507994
PMCPMC12781425

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.