N7-methylguanosine modification in cancers: from mechanisms to therapeutic potential

Abstract

N7-methylguanosine (m7G) is an important RNA modification involved in epigenetic regulation that is commonly observed in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Their influence on the synthesis and processing of messenger RNA, ribosomal RNA, and transfer RNA allows m7G modifications to affect diverse cellular, physiological, and pathological processes. m7G modifications are pivotal in human diseases, particularly cancer progression. On one hand, m7G modification-associated modulate tumour progression and affect malignant biological characteristics, including sustained proliferation signalling, resistance to cell death, activation of invasion and metastasis, reprogramming of energy metabolism, genome instability, and immune evasion. This suggests that they may be novel therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. On the other hand, the aberrant expression of m7G modification-associated molecules is linked to clinicopathological characteristics, including tumour staging, lymph node metastasis, and unfavourable prognoses in patients with cancer, indicating their potential as tumour biomarkers. This review consolidates the discovery, identification, detection methodologies, and functional roles of m7G modification, analysing the mechanisms by which m7G modification-associated molecules contribute to tumour development, and exploring their potential clinical applications in cancer diagnostics and therapy, thereby providing innovative strategies for tumour identification and targeted treatment.