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 N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification and metabolic recombination of cancer cells. As the most abundant modification in eukaryotic RNA, m6A methylation plays important roles in regulating RNA processing, including splicing, stability, transportation, translation and degradation. The aberration of m6A modification can be observed in a variety of diseases such as diabetes, neurological diseases and cancers. This review describes the mechanisms of m6A on cancer glycolysis and their applications in cancer therapy and prognosis evaluation, aiming to emphasize the importance of targeting m6A in modulating cancer metabolism.