N ⁶-methyladenosine-modified circular RNAs in aging-associated gastrointestinal tumors

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), as a novel type of multifunctional non-coding RNAs, have become a research hotspot in recent years due to their emerging roles in age-related pathological processes. CircRNAs are involved in age-associated gastrointestinal tumor progression, playing vital roles in biological regulation at various levels, such as transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A), the most abundant modification in eukaryotic cells, participates in various physiological and disease processes, including aging-related molecular mechanisms, by influencing the processing, splicing, localization, transport, degradation, and translation of RNA. In recent years, increasing evidence has shown m⁶A modification to be common in circRNAs. It is emerging that m⁶A-modified circRNAs play an important role in the occurrence, progression, and therapy of age-prevalent tumors, including the rapidly increasing burden of gastrointestinal tumors in aging populations. In this review, we summarize the roles and provide the latest insights into m⁶A-modified circRNAs in the progression and therapy of aging-associated gastrointestinal tumors, which will facilitate future studies.