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Updated: Jan 17, 2026

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PRMT1 Inhibition Targets BNC1-Dependent Proliferation in Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Rafik Boudra1, Bethany L Patenall1, Sandra King2

  • 1Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology
|September 17, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified basonuclin 1 as a key transcription factor in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Targeting its cofactor, PRMT1, inhibits SCC proliferation, offering a potential new therapeutic strategy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Transcription factor complexes regulate cellular functions and are often dysregulated in cancers like squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
  • Identifying novel targets within these complexes is crucial for developing new cancer therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discover novel transcriptional complexes critical for SCC maintenance.
  • To identify targets with catalytic activities for potential therapeutic intervention in SCC.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative gene expression analysis between SCC and non-SCC tumors.
  • Identification of SCC-specific transcription factors.
  • Analysis of direct transcriptional targets of identified factors.
  • Investigation of protein-protein interactions (basonuclin 1 and PRMT1).
  • Assessment of PRMT1 inhibitor efficacy on SCC proliferation and gene programs.

Main Results:

  • Basonuclin 1 was identified as a highly expressed, SCC-specific transcription factor.
  • Basonuclin 1 controls proliferation, differentiation, and migration axes in SCC.
  • It activates proliferation genes while repressing FRA1-dependent migration and IRF6-dependent differentiation.
  • Basonuclin 1 interacts with PRMT1 to activate cell cycle genes.
  • PRMT1 inhibitors block SCC proliferation without affecting repression of promigratory genes.

Conclusions:

  • Basonuclin 1 plays an essential role in SCC tumor maintenance by regulating key cellular processes.
  • Targeting the cofactor PRMT1 with inhibitors offers a specific strategy to block SCC proliferation.
  • This approach allows targeting protumorigenic activities via cofactor inhibition without promoting tumor progression.
Keywords:
Basonuclin 1 (BNC1)Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC)Protein arginineSquamous cell carcinoma (SCC)methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1)

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