Abstract
N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is the most prevalent internal modification of eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs). The m⁶A modification in RNA can be catalyzed by methyltransferases, or removed by demethylases, which are termed m⁶A writers and erasers, respectively. Selective recognition and binding by distinct m⁶A reader proteins lead mRNA to divergent destinies. m⁶A has been reported to influence almost every stage of mRNA metabolism and to regulate multiple biological processes. Accumulating evidence strongly supports the correlation between aberrant cellular m⁶A level and cancer. We summarize here that deregulation of m⁶A modification, resulting from aberrant expression or function of m⁶A writers, erasers, readers or some other protein factors, is associated with carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Understanding the regulation and functional mechanism of mRNA m⁶A modification in cancer development may help in developing novel and efficient strategies for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of human cancers.