Roles of RNA methylation by means of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in human cancers

Reversible methylation by means of N6-methyladenosine (m(6)A) is the most prevalent internal modification in mammalian mRNA. This RNA chemical mark is created by proteins that are m(6)A "writers" and can be reversed by proteins that are m(6)A "erasers" (i.e., demethylases). Some other proteins serving as "readers" can recognize m(6)A-containing mRNA and regulate downstream molecular mechanisms accordingly. Although m(6)A bases in RNA perform critical functions in important biological processes, their roles in cancer biology and cancer stem cells remain largely unknown. In this review, we focus on the m(6)A-associated mechanisms and modification landscapes in several major malignant tumors. Global and detailed analyses were both conducted on relevant high-throughput sequencing data. Possible interventions against m(6)A demethylases are also explored in this review, which may be advantageous for the treatment of m(6)A related cancers. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.