The Role of RNA m⁶A Modification in Cancer Glycolytic Reprogramming

As one of the main characteristics of neoplasia, metabolic reprogramming provides nutrition and energy to enhance cell proliferation and maintain environment homeostasis. Glycolysis is one of the most important components of cancer metabolism and the Warburg effect contributes to the competitive advantages of cancer cells in the threatened microenvironment. Studies show strong links between N-6-methyladenosine (m(6)A) modification and metabolic recombination of cancer cells. As the most abundant modification in eukaryotic RNA, m(6)A methylation plays important roles in regulating RNA processing, including splicing, stability, transportation, translation and degradation. The aberration of m(6)A modification can be observed in a variety of diseases such as diabetes, neurological diseases and cancers. This review describes the mechanisms of m(6)A on cancer glycolysis and their applications in cancer therapy and prognosis evaluation, aiming to emphasize the importance of targeting m(6)A in modulating cancer metabolism.