Novel N6-methyladenosine (m6A) writer METTL16 promotes the cervical cancer tumorigenesis by targeting FTH1-dependent ferroptosis

Iron-dependent programmed cell death (known as ferroptosis) is closely linked to cervical cancer progression. Here, the present research identified that novel N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) writer methyltransferase-like 16 (METTL16) was a ferroptosis-related gene in cervical cancer, and more exploration was performed to investigate its function and mechanism. Results showed that METTL16 was elevated in the cervical cancer cells, and METTL16 functionally repressed the ferroptosis-related characteristic. Mechanistically, ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) was identified as a direct target of METTL16 via the m⁶A-dependent manner. In vivo, METTL16 silencing repressed the cervical cancer tumor growth. Therefore, these findings revealed that novel m⁶A writer METTL16 promoted the cervical cancer tumorigenesis by targeting FTH1-dependent ferroptosis, which providing distinct insights for cervical cancer.