Roles of RNA methylation by means of N-methyladenosine (mA) in human cancers.

Reversible methylation by means of N6-methyladenosine (mA) is the most prevalent internal modification in mammalian mRNA. This RNA chemical mark is created by proteins that are mA "writers" and can be reversed by proteins that are mA "erasers" (i.e., demethylases). Some other proteins serving as "readers" can recognize mA-containing mRNA and regulate downstream molecular mechanisms accordingly. Although mA 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 mA-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 mA demethylases are also explored in this review, which may be advantageous for the treatment of mA related cancers.