The Role of m6A Methylation in Stem Cell Regulation

6-Methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is one of the most prevalent post-transcriptional RNA modifications playing a critical role in regulating stem cells. And this process is dynamically controlled by a group of proteins --- methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and m6A binding proteins (readers) --- to drive various cellular processes, including RNA stability, splicing, and translation and so on. This review article mainly summarizes the specific roles that m6A modification has in different stem cells, such as the key functions of self-renewal, differentiation, and tissue reparation. It is also emphasized that in embryonic stem cells (ESCs), m6A is essential for balancing pluripotency and differentiation, and its dysregulation leads to impaired development. Similarly, in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), m6A regulates differentiation towards myeloid or lymphoid lineages. Abnormal m6A signaling has also been linked to diseases such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which affects leukemogenesis. And by the extensive impact of m6A modification on the regulation of stem cells, m6A is instead proposed as a prospective target for therapeutic intervention in regenerative techniques and cancer. The aims of further work is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind the role of m6A in stem cells, searching for potential clinical applications such as enhancing stem cell therapy and improving the efficiency of techniques such as somatic cell nuclear transplantation.