Targeting m 6 A binding protein YTHDFs for cancer therapy

N -methyladenosine (m A) is the most common mRNA modification in mammalians. The function and dynamic regulation of m A depends on the "writer", "readers" and "erasers". YT521-B homology domain family (YTHDF) is a class of m A binding proteins, including YTHDF1, YTHDF2 and YTHDF3. In recent years, the modification of m A and the molecular mechanism of YTHDFs have been further understood. Growing evidence has shown that YTHDFs participate in multifarious bioprocesses, particularly tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarized the structural characteristics of YTHDFs, the regulation of mRNA by YTHDFs, the role of YTHDF proteins in human cancers and inhibition of YTHDFs.