Fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) protein, the first m6A demethylase identified in 2011, regulates multiple aspects of RNA biology including splicing, localization, stability, and translation. Accumulating data show that FTO is involved in numerous physiological processes and is implicated in multiple cancers including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the exact role of FTO in RCC remains controversial. Some studies demonstrated that decreased FTO expression was associated with aggressive clinical features and shorter overall survival in clear cell RCC (ccRCC) patients, while others found that FTO inhibition selectively reduced the growth and survival of VHL-deficient ccRCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Here, we review the evidence supporting either a promoting or suppressive role of FTO in kidney cancers, the mechanisms of action of FTO, and recent progress in developing FTO inhibitors.
Translational oncology. 2022 Aug 26 [Epub ahead of print]
Dalin Zhang, Sarah Wornow, Donna M Peehl, Erinn B Rankin, James D Brooks
Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA., Undergraduate Student Program, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA., Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA., Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA., Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Electronic address: .