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Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Research topic

Open research questions in RNA modifications and cancer

1,209 gap statements mined from RNA modifications and cancer papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 4,343 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The role of IFI6 in BLCA is not well understood. The mechanisms by which IFI6 contributes to BLCA progression are not clear.

    RBM15 Contributes to Bladder Carcinoma Progression via m6A-dependent Stabilization of IFI6 mRNA · 2026 · DOI

  • The regulation of RNA modification in AD is not well understood. The role of the METTL3/IGF2BP2 axis in AD pathogenesis is not fully elucidated. The therapeutic potential of targeting the METTL3/IGF2BP2 axis in AD is unexplored.

    Epitranscriptomic imprints on glial cell polarization: METTL3/IGF2BP2 axis as a driver of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease · 2026 · DOI

  • Current treatments for PTSD have some disadvantages, including high costs, side effects, and symptom relapse after cessation of treatment. There is a need to identify the specific molecular pathways implicated in PTSD and to develop potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic approaches.

    Comprehensive Explorations and Preliminary Experimental Verification of RNA Modification-Related Diagnostic Markers in the Subtype Classification of Peripheral Blood-Derived Mononuclear Cells Derived from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Patients · 2025 · DOI

  • The lack of efficient methods to detect RNA methylation at a site-specific or genome-wide manner. The need for novel protocols to reduce sequencing costs and enable the analysis of a wider range of biochemical modifications.

    An Overview of Current Detection Methods for RNA Methylation · 2024 · DOI

  • Further research, including functional experiments and large-scale cohort analyses, is warranted to validate and translate these findings into clinical applications.

    Amplification and overexpression of a novel m6A reader FXR1 are associated with poor prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma · 2026 · DOI

  • DNA methylation (5-methylcytosine, 5mC) is a major repressive epigenetic mark that can be iteratively oxidized by ten-eleven-translocation (TET) enzymes to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC); beyond DNA, modifications of RNA can also affect transcript stability and processing, yet RNA hydroxymethylation remains unexplored in breast cancer (BC).

    Cytoplasmic localization of 5hmC reveals RNA hydroxymethylation in breast cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • Skeletal muscle-intrinsic defects are increasingly recognized as critical contributors to the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood.

    METTL3-mediated m6A modification alleviates skeletal muscle atrophy in ALS by regulating ACSL1-dependent triglyceride metabolism · 2026 · DOI

  • N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant post-transcriptional RNA modification in mammalian mRNAs that plays important regulatory roles in diverse physiological and pathological processes, however its role in ALS-associated skeletal muscle atrophy remains unknown.

    METTL3-mediated m6A modification alleviates skeletal muscle atrophy in ALS by regulating ACSL1-dependent triglyceride metabolism · 2026 · DOI

  • Recent studies have demonstrated that chloroplast mRNAs are highly rich in m 6 A; however, the significance of m 6 A methylation in chloroplasts remains unknown.

    m 6 A Demethylation in Chloroplasts Enhances Stress Tolerance by Modulating the Stability of Photosynthesis‐Associated mRNAs in Arabidopsis · 2026 · DOI

  • OLR1 is abnormally expressed in a variety of cancers, but its function in the CRC immune microenvironment and the upstream and downstream modulatory mechanisms remain unclear.

    IGF2BP3-Mediated m6A Modification of OLR1 mRNA Promotes Immune Evasion in CRC via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the epitranscriptomic regulation of ferroptosis in VSMCs remains unclear.

    Epitranscriptomic Control of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Ferroptosis by WTAP in the Pathogenesis of Vascular Restenosis · 2026 · DOI

  • Heat stroke causes life-threatening liver injury, but its molecular basis remains poorly understood.

    ALKBH5-Mediated m 6 A Demethylation Stabilizes HMGB1 to Drive Hepatocyte Pyroptosis and Liver Injury in Heat Stroke: Targeting via Biomimetic Nanodelivery · 2026 · DOI

  • Vasculogenic mimicry (VM)-associated phenotypes have been linked to aggressive tumor behavior and reduced sensitivity to antiangiogenic therapy, but the epitranscriptomic mechanisms contributing to these phenotypes in HCC remain incompletely defined.

    WTAP regulates TRAF6 expression and vascular plasticity-associated phenotypes in experimental cell models · 2026 · DOI

  • The precise m6A sites and perfusion of VM-like structures remain unclear and warrant validation in clinically relevant HCC models and human specimens.

    WTAP regulates TRAF6 expression and vascular plasticity-associated phenotypes in experimental cell models · 2026 · DOI

  • The involvement of m6A-modified long noncoding RNAs in lung injury is not well understood. The biological mechanisms contributing to particulate matter-induced lung injury are not fully explored.

    Transcriptome-Wide Analysis of N6-Methyladenosine-Modified Long Noncoding RNAs in Particulate Matter-Induced Lung Injury · 2025 · DOI

  • The function and mechanism of pri-miRNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification in promoting miRNA maturation and regulating osteoblastic differentiation are not fully understood.

    METTL3 promotes osteogenesis by regulating N6-methyladenosine-dependent primary processing of hsa-miR-4526 · 2025 · DOI

  • While m6A and H3K36me3 deregulation are separately implicated in renal tumorigenesis, H3K36me3 may participate directly in m6A targeting, but the m6A-H3K36me3 interplay has not been investigated in the context of ccRCC.

    Deciphering the interplay between SETD2 mediated H3K36me3 and RNA N6-methyladenosine in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) · 2025 · DOI

  • Although N6-methyladenosine (m6A) may be related to the pathogenesis of fibrotic process, the mechanism of m6A modification in aging-related idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains unclear.

    METTL14-mediated m 6 A modification of DDIT4 promotes its mRNA stability in aging-related idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the function of m 6 A RNA methyltransferase in moso bamboo remains poorly understood.

    The RNA m 6 A Methyltransferase PheMTA1 and PheMTA2 of Moso Bamboo Regulate Root Development and Resistance to Salt Stress in Plant · 2025 · DOI

  • The observed correlations do not imply causality, and the mechanistic links among these factors remain speculative. The moderate sample size may limit the statistical power to detect subtle associations or subgroup effects. The use of peripheral blood samples, rather than brain tissues, restricts the direct interpretation of findings in the context of psychiatric illness processes.

    Comprehensive Explorations and Preliminary Experimental Verification of RNA Modification-Related Diagnostic Markers in the Subtype Classification of Peripheral Blood-Derived Mononuclear Cells Derived from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Patients · 2025 · DOI

  • Despite its importance, the regulatory mechanisms of the m6A pathway in rice exposed to exogenous melatonin remain inadequately investigated.

    Comprehensive Genome‐Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the N6‐Methyladenosine (m6A) Regulatory Network Influences Rapid Stress Adaptation With Exogenous Melatonin in Rice · 2026 · DOI

  • Which roles the tRNA-LC subpopulations play in bone homeostasis - How nuclear localization of the tRNA-LC is achieved in invertebrates - Mechanistic insights into the subcellular localization of pre-tRNA splicing…

    Ashwin and FAM98 paralogs define nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA ligase complexes for tRNA biogenesis · 2026 · DOI

  • The mechanism of nuclear localization of the tRNA-LC is not well understood - The role of Ashwin in the tRNA-LC is not clear - The interaction between Ashwin and FAM98 paralogs is not…

    Ashwin and FAM98 paralogs define nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA ligase complexes for tRNA biogenesis · 2026 · DOI

  • Future studies integrating genotype-resolved single-cell transcriptomic data will be needed to test whether rs8130270 affects WDR4 expression in specific prostate cell populations, - additional molecular biological investigations are necessary, - Future fine-mapping, functional studies incorporating promoter, enhancer and chromatininteraction information are warranted to comprehensively evaluate germline regulation…

    Genetic variants in WDR4 influencing m7G modification are associated with prostate cancer susceptibility · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the effects of long-term PM exposure on m6A-modified lncRNAs, - Analyze the expression of m6A-modified lncRNAs in human lung tissues, - Examine the potential therapeutic applications of targeting m6A-modified…

    Transcriptome-Wide Analysis of N6-Methyladenosine-Modified Long Noncoding RNAs in Particulate Matter-Induced Lung Injury · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in RNA modifications and cancer

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The regulation of RNA modification in AD is not well understood (“Epitranscriptomic imprints on glial cell polarization: METTL3/IGF2BP2 axis as a…”, 2026); (2) Further research, including functional experiments and large-scale cohort analyses, is warranted to validate and translate these findings into clinical applications (“Amplification and overexpression of a novel m6A reader FXR1 are associated with…”, 2026); (3) Skeletal muscle-intrinsic defects are increasingly recognized as critical contributors to the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood (“METTL3-mediated m6A modification alleviates skeletal muscle atrophy in ALS by…”, 2026); (4) Recent studies have demonstrated that chloroplast mRNAs are highly rich in m 6 A; however, the significance of m 6 A methylation in chloroplasts remains unknown (“m 6 A Demethylation in Chloroplasts Enhances Stress Tolerance by Modulating the…”, 2026); (5) OLR1 is abnormally expressed in a variety of cancers, but its function in the CRC immune microenvironment and the upstream and downstream modulatory mechanisms remain unclear (“IGF2BP3-Mediated m6A Modification of OLR1 mRNA Promotes Immune Evasion in CRC…”, 2026). 1,209 gap statements have been mined from RNA modifications and cancer papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 4,343 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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