The effects of RNA methylation on immune cells development and function

Among the more than 170 known RNA modifications, methylation modification is the most frequent and well-studied. Depending on where the methylation occurs, RNA methylation can be classified as N⁶ -methyladenosine, N¹ -methyladenosine, 5-methylcytosine, N⁷ -methylguanosine, and others. The methylation of RNA is constantly and dynamically modified in the complex microenvironment by methyltransferases, demethylases, and methylation reading proteins. These changes affect the proliferation and differentiation of immune cells as well as their effector activities by affecting RNA location, activity, stability, and translation efficiency. This review outlines how diverse RNA methylation alterations affect immune cell development and biological activity, as well as the role of RNA methylation in health and disease, to provide a molecular basis for future immunotherapies.