REVIEW article

Front. Oncol.

Sec. Genitourinary Oncology

Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1622117

The impact of METTL3 on bladder cancer through m⁶A modification: a potential therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker

Provisionally accepted
东 温东 温1,2,3Pengcheng FuPengcheng Fu1,2,3Geliu ShuaiGeliu Shuai1,2,3Yuebin WangYuebin Wang1,2,3盛鑫 余盛鑫 余1,2,3Wei WanWei Wan1,2,3Huiquan LiuHuiquan Liu1,2,3Junrong ZouJunrong Zou1,2,4Xiaofeng ZouXiaofeng Zou1,2,3,4*
  • 1Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, ganzhou, China
  • 2First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, ganzhou, China
  • 3Gannan Medical University First Clinical College, ganzhou, China
  • 4Gannan Medical University First Affiliated Hospital Institute of Urology, ganzhou, China

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Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors globally, particularly among men. According to data from the Global Cancer Research Agency, the annual incidence of BCa continues to rise, and its clinical features are complex, involving various molecular mechanisms and pathophysiological processes. Although existing treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy have improved patient prognosis to some extent, many individuals remain at risk for recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore new biomarkers and therapeutic targets to enhance the diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy of BCa. In recent years, RNA methylation, as an important post-transcriptional modification, has gradually attracted the attention of researchers. Among the methyltransferases, methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) is considered a key regulator, which is mainly responsible for the N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification of mRNA. More and more studies have shown that METTL3 not only plays an important role in normal physiological processes, but also is closely related to the occurrence and development of a variety of tumors. This review aims to systematically explore the role of METTL3 in BCa, including its biological function, expression characteristics, potential therapeutic targets, and prognosis related research progress. Through the in-depth analysis of METTL3, we hope to provide new ideas and directions for the early diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and the development of novel treatment strategies for BCa.

Keywords: M6A, METTL3, Bladder cancer, Bladder cancer treatment, bladder cancer drug resistance, Bladder cancer prognosis

Received: 02 May 2025; Accepted: 18 Jun 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 温, Fu, Shuai, Wang, 余, Wan, Liu, Zou and Zou. 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: Xiaofeng Zou, Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, ganzhou, China

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.

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