CARM1 inhibits ferroptosis in bladder cancer cells by upregulating the expression of ENO1

Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) is a protein that helps regulate gene expression. Research has shown that CARM1 is also involved in autophagy, RNA regulation, and cancer development, in addition to its primary role in transcriptional regulation. However, its molecular mechanisms and biological consequences in tumor pathogenesis have not been fully elucidated. Our investigation revealed that the overexpression of CARM1 resulted in the upregulation of α-enolase 1 (ENO1), hence enhancing the proliferation, migration, and invasion of bladder cancer (BC) cells. Our findings suggest that the upregulation of ENO1 expression hinders the occurrence of ferroptosis in BC cells by affecting the ACO1/MFRN1 pathway. Through in vivo and in vitro analyses, we discovered that the CARM1-mediated suppression of ferroptosis in BC cells can be partially reversed by using a specific inhibitor: CARM1-IN-3 dihydrochloride (CI3D). This inhibitor also has the ability to inhibit the growth of BC. Collectively, our data indicate that CARM1 could serve as a new oncogenic component in BC and that suppressing CARM1 activity is a promising viable treatment strategy.