Led by N2CR member A/Prof Polly Chen, this research highlights the crucial role of ‘death associated protein 3’ (DAP3) in regulating N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) RNA methylation, a process often disrupted in cancers. DAP3 is frequently overexpressed in cancer cells to promote tumour growth. It maintains m⁶A levels by helping methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) bind to RNA and promoting the splicing of a protein called MAT2A, which increases S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) levels. This study enhances our understanding of how m⁶A dysregulation contributes to cancer, highlighting a potential new target for cancer treatment.

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