m6A methyltransferase METTL3 promotes non-small-cell lung carcinoma progression by inhibiting the RIG-I-MAVS innate immune pathway.

Abstract

Our experimental study showed that METTL3 was highly expressed in NSCLC cells and promoted the growth of tumor cells. METTL3 takes N6-methyladenosine (m6A) as the main means of mRNA modification to control the expression and function of RIG-I-MAVS signalling pathway. RIG-I-MAVS constitute the first line frontier in the innate immune defense of human cells. Activation of RIG-I-MAVS signaling can inhibit tumor cell growth and activate the immune microenvironment. Our experimental data reveal that lung cancer cells utilize METTL3-mediated methylation modifications to inhibit the activation of RIG-I-MAVS signaling pathway and immune responses. Our work provides new ideas for biotherapy and immunotherapy.