Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42017807›Full record

ArticleCancer research2026

ACSS2 Suppresses Ferroptosis to Drive Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis.

Riley G Young, Emily M Esquea, Lorela Ciraku, Jessica Merzy, Nusaiba N Ahmed, Alexandra N Talarico, Mangalam Karuppiah, Sophia M Medori, Rujula P Warade, Wiktoria Gocal and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer research, 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
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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

13 authors.

Riley G YoungDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0009-0003-5654-8526
Emily M EsqueaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0009-0007-3564-6871
Lorela CirakuDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0009-0004-0602-3534
Jessica MerzyDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0009-0000-9459-4847
Nusaiba N AhmedDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0000-0001-7711-5592
Alexandra N TalaricoDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0009-0009-2947-7578
Mangalam KaruppiahDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0009-0009-3329-6892
Sophia M MedoriDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0009-0000-9778-7871
Rujula P WaradeDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0009-0007-3637-7765
Wiktoria GocalDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0000-0001-8894-8047
Alexej DickDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0000-0003-0580-1897
Nicole L SimoneDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0000-0002-7662-7470
Mauricio J ReginatoDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0000-0002-7541-4094

Funding

Role of O-GlcNAcome on Breast Cancer Initiating CellsU01CA244303 · NCI · DREXEL UNIVERSITY · PI BALL, LAUREN ELIZABETH, REGINATO, MAURICIO J. · 2020 to 2024
$3.0M
National Cancer Institute (NCI) UO1CA244303NCI NIH HHS U01 CA244303PA Breast Cancer Coalition T9986
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Brain metastasis in patients with breast cancer represents a terminal disease stage, with a median survival typically measured in months. Tumors that colonize the brain must adapt to its unique microenvironment, such as high acetate levels. Primary brain tumor cells enhance acetate conversion to acetyl-CoA through phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) by cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5), a process regulated by the nutrient sensor O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT). In this study, we showed that brain-metastatic breast cancer cells exhibited elevated O-GlcNAc, OGT, and phosphorylated ACSS2 (Ser267) compared with their parental counterparts. Both OGT and CDK5 were essential for in vivo tumor growth in the brain, and ACSS2 and a phosphomimetic S267D mutant drove progression of brain-metastatic breast cancer. Mechanistically, ACSS2 supported tumor cell survival by suppressing ferroptosis through early region 2-binding transcription factor (E2F1)-dependent transcription of the antiferroptotic protein solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11). Treatment with brain-penetrant ACSS2 inhibitor AD-5584 induced ferroptosis and significantly suppressed breast cancer brain metastatic growth ex vivo and in vivo. Together, these findings identify ACSS2 as a key metabolic regulator of brain-metastatic breast cancer survival and a promising target for ferroptosis-inducing therapies. SIGNIFICANCE: Targeting ACSS2 with brain penetrant inhibitors induces ferroptosis in brain metastatic breast cancer by perturbing an E2F1/SLC7A11 axis, providing an efficacious strategy for treating brain metastatic tumors.

Indexed as

Acetate-CoA LigaseBrain NeoplasmsBreast NeoplasmsFerroptosisAnimalsCell Line, TumorFemaleHumansMiceAcetate-CoA LigaseACSS2 protein, human

Identifiers

PMID42017807
PMCPMC13195636

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Registered trials

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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.