The role of m6A RNA methylation in autoimmune diseases: Novel therapeutic opportunities

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications, as one of the most common forms of internal RNA chemical modifications in eukaryotic cells, have gained increasing attention in recent years. The m6A RNA modifications exert various crucial roles in various biological processes, such as embryonic development, neurogenesis, circadian rhythms, and tumorigenesis. Recent advances have highlighted that m6A RNA modification plays an important role in immune response, especially in the initiation and progression of autoimmune diseases. In this review, we summarized the regulatory mechanisms of m6A methylation and its biological functions in the immune system and mainly focused on recent progress in research on the potential role of m6A RNA methylation in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, thus providing possible biomarkers and potential targets for the prevention and treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Keywords

• Adaptive immunity
• Autoimmune diseases
• Innate immunity
• Immune response
• m6A RNA methylation