N^6-Methyladenosine modification: a novel pharmacological target for anti-cancer drug development

N6-Methyladenosine(m6 A) modification is the most pervasive modification of human mRNA molecules. It is reversible via regulation of m6 A modification methyltransferase, demethylase and proteins that preferentially recognize m6 A modification as "writers", "erasers" and "readers", respectively. Altered expression levels of the m6 A modification key regulators substantially affect their function, leading to significant phenotype changes in the cell and organism. Recent studies have proved that the m6 A modification plays significant roles in regulation of metabolism, stem cell self-renewal, and metastasis in a variety of human cancers. In this review, we describe the potential roles of m6 A modification in human cancers and summarize their underlying molecular mechanisms. Moreover, we will highlight potential therapeutic approaches by targeting the key m6 A modification regulators for cancer drug development.& 2018 Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

N^6-Methyladenosine(m^6A) modification is the most pervasive modification of human mRNA molecules. It is reversible via regulation of m^6A modification methyltransferase, demethylase and proteins that preferentially recognize m^6A modification as 'writers', 'erasers' and 'readers', respectively. Altered expression levels of the m^6A modification key regulators substantially affect their function, leading to significant phenotype changes in the cell and organism. Recent studies have proved that the m^6A modification plays significant roles in regulation of metabolism, stem cell self-renewal, and metastasis in a variety of human cancers. In this review, we describe the potential roles of m^6A modification in human cancers and summarize their underlying molecular mechanisms. Moreover, we will highlight potential therapeutic approaches by targeting the key m^6A modification regulators for cancer drug development.