Targeting m6A methylation for early diagnosis and precision medicine in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as a significant global malignancy, occupying the sixth position in incidence and the third in cancer-related mortality. Despite this, the mechanisms underlying HCC progression remain insufficiently understood. m6A modification is one of the most common post-transcriptional modifications in eukaryotic mRNA, regulated by methyltransferases, demethylases, and m⁶A-binding proteins. Proteins specialized in m6A recognition selectively bind to m6A-modified RNA, influencing processes such as splicing, maturation, nucleation, degradation, and translation. Current research, both domestic and international, primarily explores how m6A modification and its associated proteins affect malignant cell proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. However, the role of m6A-related proteins in tumor progression in HCC remains poorly characterized. This review elucidates the composition, mechanisms, and biological functions of m6A methylation modification proteins in HCC progression, alongside recent advancements in m6A-related biomarker discovery and immunotherapeutic developments, aiming to enhance early clinical diagnosis and facilitate targeted drug development for HCC.