» Articles » PMID: 35164788

M6A Modification: Recent Advances, Anticancer Targeted Drug Discovery and Beyond

Overview
Journal Mol Cancer
Publisher Biomed Central
Date 2022 Feb 15
PMID 35164788
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Abnormal N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is closely associated with the occurrence, development, progression and prognosis of cancer, and aberrant m6A regulators have been identified as novel anticancer drug targets. Both traditional medicine-related approaches and modern drug discovery platforms have been used in an attempt to develop m6A-targeted drugs. Here, we provide an update of the latest findings on m6A modification and the critical roles of m6A modification in cancer progression, and we summarize rational sources for the discovery of m6A-targeted anticancer agents from traditional medicines and computer-based chemosynthetic compounds. This review highlights the potential agents targeting m6A modification for cancer treatment and proposes the advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) in the discovery of m6A-targeting anticancer drugs. Three stages of m6A-targeting anticancer drug discovery: traditional medicine-based natural products, modern chemical modification or synthesis, and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted approaches for the future.

Citing Articles

RNA Modification in Metabolism.

Liu Y, Sun Z, Gui D, Zhao Y, Xu Y MedComm (2020). 2025; 6(3):e70135.

PMID: 40066222 PMC: 11892166. DOI: 10.1002/mco2.70135.


The m6A reader IGF2BP3 promotes HCC progression by enhancing MCM10 stability.

Zhao L, Huang H, Luo L, Huang Z, Wu Z, Wang F Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):8204.

PMID: 40065065 PMC: 11894129. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-93062-w.


The human 18S rRNA m6A methyltransferase METTL5 promotes tumorigenesis via DEPDC1 in lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Yan Y, Fu J Front Oncol. 2025; 15:1522157.

PMID: 40018408 PMC: 11864947. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1522157.


Epitranscriptomics in the Glioma Context: A Brief Overview.

Santamarina-Ojeda P, Fernandez A, Fraga M Cancers (Basel). 2025; 17(4).

PMID: 40002173 PMC: 11853273. DOI: 10.3390/cancers17040578.


USP14 modulates stem-like properties, tumorigenicity, and radiotherapy resistance in glioblastoma stem cells through stabilization of MST4-phosphorylated ALKBH5.

Zhou X, Xia Q, Wang B, Li J, Liu B, Wang S Theranostics. 2025; 15(6):2293-2314.

PMID: 39990235 PMC: 11840735. DOI: 10.7150/thno.103629.


References
1.
Huang H, Wang Y, Kandpal M, Zhao G, Cardenas H, Ji Y . FTO-Dependent -Methyladenosine Modifications Inhibit Ovarian Cancer Stem Cell Self-Renewal by Blocking cAMP Signaling. Cancer Res. 2020; 80(16):3200-3214. PMC: 7442742. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-19-4044. View

2.
Ueda Y, Ooshio I, Fusamae Y, Kitae K, Kawaguchi M, Jingushi K . AlkB homolog 3-mediated tRNA demethylation promotes protein synthesis in cancer cells. Sci Rep. 2017; 7:42271. PMC: 5304225. DOI: 10.1038/srep42271. View

3.
Yu J, Chai P, Xie M, Ge S, Ruan J, Fan X . Histone lactylation drives oncogenesis by facilitating mA reader protein YTHDF2 expression in ocular melanoma. Genome Biol. 2021; 22(1):85. PMC: 7962360. DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02308-z. View

4.
Sabnis R . Novel Small Molecule RNA m6A Demethylase AlkBH5 Inhibitors for Treating Cancer. ACS Med Chem Lett. 2021; 12(6):856-857. PMC: 8201485. DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00102. View

5.
Zhang P, He Q, Lei Y, Li Y, Wen X, Hong M . mA-mediated ZNF750 repression facilitates nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression. Cell Death Dis. 2018; 9(12):1169. PMC: 6281568. DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-1224-3. View