Comprehensive Analyses of the Expression, Genetic Alteration, Prognosis Significance, and Interaction Networks of m6A Regulators Across Human Cancers

Accumulating lines of evidence indicate that the deregulation of m 6 A is involved in various cancer types. The m 6 A RNA methylation is modulated by m 6 A methyltransferases, demethylases, and reader proteins. Although the aberrant expression of m 6 A RNA methylation contributes to the development and progression of multiple cancer types, the roles of m 6 A regulators across numerous types of cancers remain largely unknown. Here, we comprehensively investigated the expression, genetic alteration, and prognosis significance of 20 commonly studied m 6 A regulators across diverse cancer types using TCGA datasets via bioinformatic analyses. The results revealed that the m 6 A regulators exhibited widespread dysregulation, genetic alteration, and the modulation of oncogenic pathways across TCGA cancer types. In addition, most of the m 6 A regulators were closely relevant with significant prognosis in many cancer types. Furthermore, we also constructed the protein–protein interacting network of the 20 m 6 A regulators, and a more complex interacting regulatory network including m 6 A regulators and their corresponding interacting factors. Besides, the networks between m 6 A regulators and their upstream regulators such as miRNAs or transcriptional factors were further constructed in this study. Finally, the possible chemicals targeting each m 6 A regulator were obtained by bioinformatics analysis and the m 6 A regulators–potential drugs network was further constructed. Taken together, the comprehensive analyses of m 6 A regulators might provide novel insights into the m 6 A regulators’ roles across cancer types and shed light on their potential molecular mechanisms as well as help develop new therapy approaches for cancers.