Diagnostic and therapeutic potentials of methyltransferase-like 3 in liver diseases

Abstract

Methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3), a component of the RNA N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification with a specific catalytic capacity, controls gene expression by actively regulating RNA splicing, nuclear export, stability, and translation, determines the fate of RNAs and assists in regulating biological processes. Studies conducted in recent decades have demonstrated the pivotal regulatory role of METTL3 in liver disorders, including hepatic lipid metabolism disorders, liver fibrosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and liver cancer. Although METTL3's roles in these diseases have been extensively investigated, the regulatory network of METTL3 and its potential applications remain unexplored. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the roles and mechanisms of METTL3 implicated in these diseases, establish a regulatory network of METTL3, evaluate the potential for targeting METTL3 for diagnosis and treatment, and discuss avenues for future development and research. We found relatively upregulated expressions of METTL3 in these liver diseases, demonstrating its potential as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target.

Keywords: Clinical potentials; Hepatic lipid metabolism disorder; Liver cancer; Liver fibrosis; Methyltransferase-like 3; Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.