Zhao Yingchao, Chen Xiang, Zhang Xingli, Liu Hong
Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Biomark Res. 2025 Jun 7;13(1):81. doi: 10.1186/s40364-025-00794-y.
RNA modifications are crucial for post-transcriptional gene regulation. Research on RNA modifications has become a novel frontier of epitranscriptomics. Up to now, over 170 kinds of modifications have been identified on mRNA and diverse non-coding RNA. Three classes of proteins (writers, erasers, and readers) regulate the addition, removal, and identification of epigenetic marks, thus affecting RNA biological functions. Increasing evidence identifies the dysregulation of RNA modifications in different cancer types and the therapeutic potential of targeting RNA-modifying enzymes. The ability of RNA modifications to improve mRNA stability and translation efficacy and decrease immunogenicity has been exploited for the clinical use of mRNA cancer vaccines. This review aims to shed light on several vital cap, tail, and internal modifications of RNA with a focus on the connection between RNA epigenetic pathways and cancer pathogenesis. We further explore the clinical potential of RNA modifications as dynamic biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic response prediction, addressing both technological challenges and translational opportunities. Finally, we analyze the limitations of current studies and discuss the research focus in the future.
RNA修饰对于转录后基因调控至关重要。RNA修饰研究已成为表观转录组学的一个新前沿领域。到目前为止，已在mRNA和多种非编码RNA上鉴定出170多种修饰。三类蛋白质（写入器、擦除器和读取器）调节表观遗传标记的添加、去除和识别，从而影响RNA的生物学功能。越来越多的证据表明不同癌症类型中RNA修饰失调以及靶向RNA修饰酶的治疗潜力。RNA修饰改善mRNA稳定性和翻译效率以及降低免疫原性的能力已被用于mRNA癌症疫苗的临床应用。本综述旨在阐明RNA的几种重要的帽、尾和内部修饰，重点关注RNA表观遗传途径与癌症发病机制之间的联系。我们进一步探讨RNA修饰作为癌症诊断、预后和治疗反应预测的动态生物标志物的临床潜力，同时解决技术挑战和转化机会。最后，我们分析了当前研究的局限性并讨论了未来的研究重点。
