The role of N6-methyladenosine-modified non-coding RNAs in the pathological process of human cancer

Abstract

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) account for the majority of the widespread transcripts of mammalian genomes. They rarely encode proteins and peptides, but their regulatory role is crucial in numerous physiological and pathological processes. The m6A (N6-methyladenosine) modification is one of the most common internal RNA modifications in eukaryotes and is associated with all aspects of RNA metabolism. Accumulating researches have indicated a close association between m6A modification and ncRNAs, and suggested m6A-modified ncRNAs played a crucial role in tumor progression. The correlation between m6A modification and ncRNAs offers a novel perspective for investigating the potential mechanisms of cancer pathological processes, which suggests that both m6A modification and ncRNAs are critical prognostic markers and therapeutic targets in numerous malignancies. In the present report, we summarized the interaction between m6A modification and ncRNA, emphasizing how their interaction regulates pathological processes in cancer.