5-mC RNA methylation: a key regulator in cancer development and treatment

BACKGROUND: 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) RNA methylation is a prevalent post-transcriptional modification affecting both coding and non-coding RNAs. 5-mC methylation can regulate the expression level of relevant genes and biological processes by affecting RNA stability, translation efficiency, spatial structure, protein interactions, and other processes. Emerging evidence highlights its critical role in cancer biology. MAIN BODY: Abnormal changes in 5-mC methylation lead to aberrant expression of oncogenes or inactivation of suppressor genes, which in turn affects the growth and differentiation of cells. High 5-mC methylation tends to promote malignant cancer progression through pathways such as carcinogenesis, proliferation, metastasis, metabolic reprogramming, immunosuppression and drug resistance. These effects are mediated through RNA methylation writers, readers, and erasers. The multiple regulatory roles of 5-mC methylation modification in cancer development and progression make it an important direction for cancer therapy researches. CONCLUSION: 5-mC methylation is expected to be used to predict disease progression and guide therapeutic regimens, and is an important target for the development of novel anticancer therapies with great clinical translational potential.