Recent Advance in Sensitive Detection of Demethylase FTO

Methylation modification is a critical regulatory mechanism in epigenetics, playing a significant role in various biological processes. N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent modification found in RNA. This modification is dynamic and reversible, regulated by methyltransferases and demethylases. The fat mass and obesity‐associated protein (FTO) facilitates the demethylation of m6A in RNA, and its aberrant expression is closely associated with the development of multiple diseases. Thus, FTO has the potential to serve as a crucial biomarker for clinical disease diagnosis. Despite its significance, there has been a lack of comprehensive reviews addressing the research advancements in detection methods for the demethylase FTO. This review provides an overview of the progress in FTO detection methods, ranging from traditional approaches to novel techniques, with a particular focus on recently reported innovations. These novel detection methods can be categorized into strategies based on enzymes, functional nucleic acids (FNA), and conformational changes. We summarize the principles and applications of these detection methods and discuss the current challenges and future prospects in this field.