N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancers of human, the tumor-related death of which ranks third among the common malignances. N -methyladenosine (m A) methylation, the most abundant internal modification of RNA in mammals, participates in the metabolism of mRNA and interrelates with ncRNAs. In this paper, we overviewed the complex function of m A regulators in HCC, including regulating the tumorigenesis, progression, prognosis, stemness, metabolic reprogramming, autophagy, ferroptosis, drug resistance and tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Furthermore, we elucidated the interplay between m A modification and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs). Finally, we summarized the potential of m A regulators as diagnostic biomarkers. What's more, we reviewed the inhibitors targeting m A enzymes as promising therapeutic targets of HCC. We aimed to help understand the function of m A methylation in HCC systematically and comprehensively so that more effective strategies for HCC treatment will be developed.