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REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1463847
This article is part of the Research Topic RNA Modifications in Cancer: Unraveling Roles and Therapeutic Potential in Immunity and Immunotherapy View all articles

RNA Modifications in Cancer Immune Therapy: Regulator of Immune Cells and Immune Checkpoint

Provisionally accepted
Xiangyu Qin Xiangyu Qin 1,2,3Huali Liu Huali Liu 1Qi Xuan Zhang Qi Xuan Zhang 4Yuhang Che Yuhang Che 2,3Tianyu Lei Tianyu Lei 1,2,3Fang Tang Fang Tang 5*Qinyong Hu Qinyong Hu 1,2,3*
  • 1 Department of Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
  • 2 Renmin Hospital of Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone (Hannan), Wuhan, China
  • 3 Wuhan University Heavy Ion Medicine Center, Wuhan 430090, China, Wuhan, China
  • 4 Reproductive Medicine Center, Renmin Hospital, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
  • 5 Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    RNA modifications are epigenetic changes that alter the structure and function of RNA molecules, playing a crucial role in the onset, progression, and treatment of cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies, particularly PD-1 blockade and anti-CTLA-4 treatments, have changed the treatment landscape of virous cancers, showing great potential in the treatment of different cancer patients, but sensitivity to these therapies is limited to certain individuals. This review offers a comprehensive survey of the functions and therapeutic implications of the four principal RNA modifications, particularly highlighting the significance of m6A in the realms of immune cells in tumor and immunotherapy. This review starts by providing a foundational summary of the roles RNA modifications assume within the immune cell community, focusing on T cells, NK cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. We then discuss how RNA modifications influence the intricate regulatory mechanisms governing immune checkpoint expression, modulation of ICI efficacy, and prediction of ICI treatment outcomes, and review drug therapies targeting genes regulated by RNA modifications. Finally, we explore the role of RNA modifications in gene editing, cancer vaccines, and adoptive T cell therapies, offering valuable insights into the use of RNA modifications in cancer immunotherapy.

    Keywords: RNA modification1, Cancer2, immune checkpoint3, immune cell4, immune therapy5

    Received: 12 Jul 2024; Accepted: 02 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Qin, Liu, Zhang, Che, Lei, Tang and Hu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Fang Tang, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
    Qinyong Hu, Department of Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.