AUTHOR=Dang Qin , Shao Bo , Zhou Quanbo , Chen Chen , Guo Yaxin , Wang Guixian , Liu Jinbo , Kan Quancheng , Yuan Weitang , Sun Zhenqiang 

TITLE=RNA N6-Methyladenosine in Cancer Metastasis: Roles, Mechanisms, and Applications

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2021.681781

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2021.681781

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>Cancer metastasis is a symptom of adverse prognosis, a prime origin of therapy failure, and a lethal challenge for cancer patients. <italic>N</italic><sup>6</sup>-methyladenosine (m<sup>6</sup>A), the most prevailing modification in messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) of higher eukaryotes, has attracted increasing attention. Growing studies have verified the pivotal roles of m<sup>6</sup>A methylation in controlling mRNAs and ncRNAs in diverse physiological processes. Remarkably, recent findings have showed that aberrant methylation of m<sup>6</sup>A-related RNAs could influence cancer metastasis. In this review, we illuminate how m<sup>6</sup>A modifiers act on mRNAs and ncRNAs and modulate metastasis in several cancers, and put forward the clinical application prospects of m<sup>6</sup>A methylation.</p>