New insights on the interplays between m⁶A modifications and microRNA or lncRNA in gastrointestinal cancers

N-6-Methyladenosine (m(6)A) methylation is one of the most extremely examined RNA modifications. M(6)A modification evidently impacts cancer development by effecting RNA metabolism. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in multiple essential biological processes by regulating gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Accumulated evidences indicated that m(6)A is involved in regulating the cleavage, stability, structure, transcription, and transport of lncRNAs or miRNAs. Additionally, ncRNAs also play significant roles in modulating m(6)A levels of malignant cells by participating in the regulation of m(6)A methyltransferases, the m(6)A demethylases and the m(6)A binding proteins. In this review, we systematically summarize the new insight on the interactions between m(6)A and lncRNAs or miRNAs, as well as their impacts on gastrointestinal cancer progression. Although there are still extensive studies on genome-wide screening of crucial lncRNAs or miRNAs involved in regulating m(6)A levels of mRNAs and disclosing differences on mechanisms of regulating m(6)A modification of lncRNAs, miRNAs or mRNAs in cancer cells, we believe that targeting m(6)A-related lncRNAs and miRNAs may provide novel options for gastrointestinal cancer treatments.