The N6-methyladenosine:mechanisms, diagnostic value, immunotherapy prospec-ts and challenges in gastric cancer

The N6-methyladenosine (m(6)A) RNA modification is important in post-transcriptional regulation of RNA and are regulated reversibly by methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers) and m(6)A recognition proteins (readers). Changes in the structure and function of key RNAs contribute to the development of diseases, particularly tumors. Many abnormal expressions of molecules related to m(6)A RNA methylation modification are discovered in gastric cancer (GC), which changes the methylation level and stability of target genes after transcription, and then regulates related metabolic pathways, affecting the occurrence and progression of GC. Therefore, an in-depth study of m(6)A RNA modification in GC is conducive to the development of new tumor therapies and the achieve of individualized treatment. At present, both basic and clinical studies indicate that m(6)A plays a complex and contentious role in GC. In this paper, we not only review the roles and mechanisms of m(6)A modified related proteins, but also discuss the value of m(6)A modulators in the clinical applications and current challenges of GC, aiming to provide research clues for the early diagnosis and explore the feasibility of m(6)A related proteins as specific targets for GC immunotherapy.