Scientists at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Toronto have revealed how a tiny chemical modification in RNA, known as m6A, plays a critical role in the progression of prostate cancer, including driving some of its most dangerous forms of the disease.

In the most comprehensive analysis yet of m6A in prostate cancer, researchers mapped these modifications across 162 prostate cancer tumors and found that m6A patterns were closely tied to how aggressive a tumor was. In some cases, they acted like a molecular fingerprint, marking cancers that were more likely to grow quickly and spread. In others, the m6A tags appeared to be active players, helping cancer cells multiply, migrate and invade new tissue.

One of the key discoveries involved a gene called VCAN, which produces a protein linked to tumor growth. When m6A tags were added to VCAN’s RNA, the cancer became more aggressive and more likely to metastasise. Targeting these modifications could offer a new way to slow down or stop the disease.

The researchers also found m6A modifications can act as biomarkers to predict disease behavior, suggesting that analysing m6A tags could help doctors determine how a patient’s prostate cancer will behave and whether it’s likely to be slow-growing or aggressive.

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among men, with treatment outcomes varying widely. While much focus has been placed on genetic mutations in the DNA, recent research has pointed to the importance of post-transcriptional modifications, which are chemical changes made to RNA molecules, as critical regulators of cancer behavior. One of the most abundant and significant modifications in RNA is m6A, which influences RNA processing, stability, and translation into proteins. However, its role in cancer—particularly prostate cancer—has not been fully understood.

IMPACT

By focusing on m6A modifications, the study paves the way for more accurate predictions of cancer aggressiveness and more personalised treatment strategies. The findings suggest that m6A patterns could serve as biomarkers to help doctors determine how likely a prostate cancer tumor is to grow or spread. They also highlight potential new therapies that target m6A modifications, particularly on genes like VCAN, to prevent cancer progression and metastasis.

BYLINE: Denise Heady