Research Progress on m⁶A RNA Methylation in Immune Regulation

m⁶A (N⁶-methyladenosine) is the most prevalent epitranscriptomic modification in eukaryoticmRNA, dynamically and reversibly regulating RNA splicing, transport, stability, and translation efficiency. The m6Amodification system consists of three key proteins: methyltransferases (“writers”, e.g., METTL3, METTL14, WTAP),demethylases (“erasers”, e.g., FTO, ALKBH5), and recognition proteins (“readers”, e.g., YTHDF, YTHDC family).These three enzymes collectively forming a sophisticated epitranscriptomic regulatory network. In immune regulation,m⁶A serves as a critical switch for immune cell development and functional activation due to its dynamic reversibility.It plays a central role in various immune-related diseases by modulating innate immune pathways (e.g., TLR, RIG-I)and adaptive immune responses (e.g., T/B cell activation). Specifically, m6A regulates immune checkpoint (e.g., PD1-CXCL1-CXCR2) expression in the tumor microenvironment, contributes to abnormal lymphocyte activation andcytokine dysregulation in autoimmune diseases, mediates viral immune evasion in HIV/HBV infections, and controlsinflammatory responses via pathways such as NF-κB-MAPK in inflammatory diseases. This review systematicallyelucidates the molecular mechanisms and clinical significance of m⁶A in immune regulation, aiming to provide novelinsights for developing m⁶A-based precision immunotherapies and advancing the application of epitranscriptomics in 

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2026.06.0019