Novel insights into the multifaceted roles of m 6 A-modified LncRNAs in cancers: biological functions and therapeutic applications

N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) is considered as the most common and important internal transcript modification in several diseases like type 2 diabetes, schizophrenia and especially cancer. As a main target of m 6 A methylation, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proved to regulate cellular processes at various levels, including epigenetic modification, transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational and post-translational regulation. Recently, accumulating evidence suggests that m 6 A-modified lncRNAs greatly participate in the tumorigenesis of cancers. In this review, we systematically summarized the biogenesis of m 6 A-modified lncRNAs and the identified m 6 A-lncRNAs in a variety of cancers, as well as their potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications as biomarkers and therapeutic targets, hoping to shed light on the novel strategies for cancer treatment.