Jiang TQ, Wang H, Cheng WX, Xie C. Modulation of host N6-methyladenosine modification by gut microbiota in colorectal cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2024; 30(38): 4175-4193 [PMID: 39493326 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i38.4175]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Chuan Xie, MD, Chief Doctor, Teacher, Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 17 Yongwaizheng Street, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China. xcsghhz@ncu.edu.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Tian-Qi Jiang, Hao Wang, Chuan Xie, Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
Tian-Qi Jiang, Hao Wang, The First Clinical Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
Wang-XinJun Cheng, Queen Mary College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
Co-first authors: Tian-Qi Jiang and Hao Wang.
Author contributions: Xie C conceived and designed the study; Jiang TQ, Wang H, and Cheng WX edited the manuscript; All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported bythe National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82100599 and No. 81960112; the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Scientific introductions, No. 20212ACB216003 and No. 20242BAB26122; the Science and Technology Plan of Jiangxi Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 2023Z021; and the Young Talents Project of Jiangxi Provincial Academic and Technical Leaders Training Program for Major Disciplines, No. 20204BCJ23022.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Chuan Xie, MD, Chief Doctor, Teacher, Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 17 Yongwaizheng Street, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China. xcsghhz@ncu.edu.cn
Received: June 4, 2024 Revised: August 29, 2024 Accepted: September 12, 2024 Published online: October 14, 2024 Processing time: 117 Days and 4.4 Hours
Abstract
As a research hotspot in the field of molecular biology, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification has made progress in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC), leukemia and other cancers. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the tumour microenvironment (TME) regulates the level of m6A modification in the host and activates a series of complex epigenetic signalling pathways through interactions with CRC cells, thus affecting the progression and prognosis of CRC. However, with the diversity in the composition of TME factors, this action is reciprocal and complex. Encouragingly, some studies have experimentally revealed that the intestinal flora can alter CRC cell proliferation by directly acting on m6A and thereby altering CRC cell proliferation. This review summarizes the data, supporting the idea that the intestinal flora can influence host m6A levels through pathways such as methyl donor metabolism and thus affect the progression of CRC. We also review the role of m6A modification in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic assessment of CRC and discuss the current status, limitations, and potential clinical value of m6A modification in this field. We propose that additional in-depth research on m6A alterations in CRC patients and their TME-related targeted therapeutic issues will lead to better therapeutic outcomes for CRC patients.
Core Tip: This review summarizes the interactions of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification in colorectal cancer (CRC) with a variety of the tumour microenvironment factors such as metabolism, hypoxia, inflammation, and immunity and supports the idea that intestinal flora can influence the progression of CRC by regulating the level of m6A modification. Additionally, this review also summarizes the clinical applications of m6A modifications in CRC and suggests possible future research directions.
