MINI REVIEW article
Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Epigenomics and Epigenetics
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1656769
Epitranscriptomic Signatures in Blood: Emerging Biomarkers for Diagnosis of Diabetes and its Complications
Provisionally accepted
Marketa Hlavackova*
Daniel Benak
Kristyna Holzerova
Petra Alanova
Jaroslav Hrdlicka
Miloslava ChalupovaBarbora OpletalovaBohuslav OstadalFrantisek Kolar- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR), Prague, Czechia
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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and progressive β-cell dysfunction. Traditional biomarkers, such as fasting glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), offer diagnostic and prognostic value but have limitations in sensitivity and predictive power for disease progression. Recent advances in molecular biology have identified epitranscriptomic modifications as potential biomarkers for T2DM, offering a novel layer of gene expression regulation through reversible RNA modifications. Dysregulation of these modifications has been implicated in insulin resistance, β-cell failure, and diabetes-related complications. Notably, altered levels of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and its regulatory enzymes, including the eraser fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) and the writer methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3), have been detected in peripheral blood of T2DM patients, suggesting their potential as non-invasive diagnostic markers. Similarly, circulating levels of pseudouridine (Ψ) have been associated with diabetic complications such as retinopathy and nephropathy. This review highlights the emerging role of epitranscriptomic modifications in T2DM pathophysiology and discusses their translational potential as biomarkers for early detection, disease monitoring, and personalized therapeutic strategies.
Keywords: diabetes, biomarkers, Epitranscriptomics, RNA modification, M6A, Pseudouridine
Received: 30 Jun 2025; Accepted: 09 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Hlavackova, Benak, Holzerova, Alanova, Hrdlicka, Chalupova, Opletalova, Ostadal and Kolar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Marketa Hlavackova, marketa.hlavackova@fgu.cas.cz
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.