Insights into RNA N6-methyladenosine in glucose and lipid metabolic diseases and their therapeutic strategies.

The incidence of glucose and lipid metabolism diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is rising, which places an enormous burden on people around the world. However, the mechanism behind these disorders remains incompletely understood. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one type of posttranscriptional RNA modification and research has shown that it plays a crucial role in several metabolic diseases. m6A methylation is reversibly and dynamically regulated by methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers) and m6A binding proteins (readers). Dysregulation of RNA m6A modification is related to different metabolic processes. Targeting RNA m6A methylation is a potential treatment strategy for these chronic metabolic diseases. This review discusses studies on RNA m6A modification in metabolic diseases and existing therapeutic drugs, with the aim of providing a concise perspective on its potential applications in managing metabolic disorders.