RNA plays a variety of critical roles in cellular environments, including serving as a structural molecule, messenger molecule, translational carrier, and effector molecule. During the execution of these functions, RNA undergoes diverse post-transcriptional chemical modifications, which are essential for sustaining life processes. Glycosylation, a key biological modification, was traditionally thought to occur only in lipids and proteins. However, recent studies have revealed that it can also take place on RNA, giving rise to what is termed glycosylated RNA (glycoRNA). This article explores the mechanisms underlying the formation and function of glycoRNA, detection methods, extracellular binding proteins, and key enzymatic systems involved. Furthermore, it highlights the potential of glycoRNA research to provide new insights for precision cancer therapy.
Keywords: Biomarker; Cancer; GlycoRNA; RNA glycosylation.