RPL41 is a small 25-amino acid ribosomal protein with dual roles as a structural component and tumor suppressor 1. As a structural constituent of the ribosome, RPL41 contributes to cytoplasmic protein synthesis and interacts with protein kinase CKII to regulate DNA topoisomerase II alpha phosphorylation 2. Beyond its ribosomal function, RPL41 serves as a microtubule-associated protein essential for mitotic spindle integrity and centrosome stability; RPL41 depletion causes abnormal mitosis, cytokinesis failure, and centrosome splitting 1. Mechanistically, RPL41 induces rapid proteasomal degradation of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), a stress-response transcription factor that promotes tumor cell survival 2. RPL41 downregulation occurs in approximately 75% of primary breast cancers and 59% of tumor cell lines, correlating with malignant transformation 1. In retinoblastoma models, RPL41 peptide treatment suppresses tumor growth by degrading ATF4, which subsequently reduces ARL5B expression and impairs lysosomal trafficking necessary for metastasis 3, 4. RPL41 sensitizes retinoblastoma cells to carboplatin chemotherapy 3. Clinically, RPL41 represents a therapeutic target, with synthetic RPL41 peptides demonstrating potential as an adjuvant to chemotherapy in retinoblastoma and potentially other cancers through ATF4-dependent mechanisms.