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Review
. 2022 Aug 8;10(8):1918.
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10081918.

RNA Modifications in Gastrointestinal Cancer: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Xiaoting Zhang  1   2   3   4 , Hao Su  1   2   3   4 , Hongyan Chen  1   2   3   4 , Qing Li  1   2   3   4 , Xiaodong Liu  1   2   3 , Lin Zhang  1   2   3   4 , William Ka Kei Wu  1   2   3   4 , Matthew Tak Vai Chan  1   2   3 , Huarong Chen  1   2   3   4
Affiliations
Review

RNA Modifications in Gastrointestinal Cancer: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Xiaoting Zhang et al. Biomedicines. .

Abstract

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, referring to cancers of the digestive system such as colorectal cancer (CRC), gastric cancer (GC), and liver cancer, is a major cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. A series of genetic, epigenetic, and epitranscriptomic changes occur during the development of GI cancer. The identification of these molecular events provides potential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets for cancer patients. RNA modification is required in the posttranscriptional regulation of RNA metabolism, including splicing, intracellular transport, degradation, and translation. RNA modifications such as N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and N1-methyladenosine (m1A) are dynamically regulated by three different types of regulators named methyltransferases (writers), RNA binding proteins (readers), and demethylases (erasers). Recent studies have pointed out that abnormal RNA modification contributes to GI tumorigenesis and progression. In this review, we summarize the latest findings on the functional significance of RNA modification in GI cancer and discuss the therapeutic potential of epitranscriptomic inhibitors for cancer treatment.

Keywords: RNA modification; gastrointestinal cancer; therapeutic target.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Different types of RNA modifications and their distribution. (A) RNA modifications within mRNA. (B) RNA modifications in tRNA. (C) Regulators of RNA modifications.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Approaches to target RNA modifications: LNP-siRNA or specific small molecular inhibitors targeting RNA modification regulators.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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