The emerging roles of N-methyladenosine in osteoarthritis.

Finding new biomarkers and molecular targets to guide OA treatment remains a significant challenge. One of the most frequent forms of RNA methylation, N-methyladenosine (mA), can affect gene expression and RNA transcription, processing, translation, and metabolism. Osteoarthritis (OA) can cause disability and pain degenerative disease, reduce the quality of life of the elderly, and increase the social and economic burden. Changes in mA levels are crucial in OA progress. In this review, the discussion will concentrate on the role that mA plays in OA occurrence and progression. The mA involved in the OA process mainly includes METTL3 and FTO. Current studies on mA and OA primarily focus on four signaling pathways, namely, NF-κB, LNCRNAs, ATG7, and Bcl2. mA participates in these signaling pathways and affects cellular inflammation, apoptosis, senescence, and autophagy, thus controlling the OA process. The modification of mA affects so many signaling pathways. For the treatment of OA, it may represent a viable new therapeutic target.