RNA m6A Modification in Cancers: Molecular Mechanisms and Potential Clinical Applications

N-6-Methyladenosine (m(6)A) RNA modification brings a new dawn for RNA modification researches in recent years. This posttranscriptional RNA modification is dynamic and reversible, and is regulated by methylases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and proteins that preferentially recognize m(6)A modifications (readers). The change of RNA m(6)A modification regulates RNA metabolism in eucaryon, including translation, splicing, exporting, decay, and processing. Thereby the dysregulation of m(6)A may lead to tumorigenesis and progression. Given the tumorigenic role of abnormal m(6)A expression, m(6)A regulators may function as potential clinical therapeutic targets for cancers. In this review, we emphasize on the underlying mechanisms of m(6)A modifications in tumorigenesis and further introduce the potential m(6)A regulators-associated therapeutic targets for tumor therapy.