Link between m6A modification and infiltration characterization of tumor microenvironment in lung adenocarcinoma

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation plays a pivotal role in immune responses and the onset and advancement of cancer. Nonetheless, the precise impact of m6A modification in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and its associated tumor microenvironment (TME) remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we distinguished distinct m6A modification patterns within two separate LUAD cohorts using a set of 21 m6A regulators. The TME characteristics associated with these two patterns align with the immune-inflamed and immune-excluded phenotypes, respectively. We identified 2064 m6A-related genes, which were used as a basis to divide all LUAD samples into three distinct m6A gene clusters. We applied a scoring system to evaluate the m6A gene signature of the m6A modification pattern in individual patients. To authenticate the categorization significance of m6A modification patterns, we established a correlation between m6A score and TME infiltration profiling, tumor somatic mutations, and responses to immunotherapy. A high level of m6A modification may be associated with the aggressiveness and poor prognosis of LUAD. Further studies should investigate the mechanism of action of m6A regulators and m6A-related genes to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with LUAD.