N6-methyladenosine modification: Regulatory mechanisms and therapeutic potential in sepsis

Abstract

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection and is characterized by multiple biological and clinical features. N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification is the most common type of RNA modifications in eukaryotes and plays an important regulatory role in various biological processes. Recently, m⁶A modification has been found to be involved in the regulation of immune responses in sepsis. In addition, several studies have shown that m⁶A modification is involved in sepsis-induced multiple organ dysfunctions, including cardiovascular dysfunction, acute lung injury (ALI), acute kidney injury (AKI) and etc. Considering the complex pathogenesis of sepsis and the lack of specific therapeutic drugs, m⁶A modification may be the important bond in the pathophysiological process of sepsis and even therapeutic targets. This review systematically highlights the recent advances regarding the roles of m⁶A modification in sepsis and sheds light on their use as treatment targets for sepsis.

Keywords: Immune response; M(6)A; Multiple organ dysfunction; Post-transcriptional regulation; Sepsis.