Abstract:

Cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer, are major causes of female mortality, with their incidence increasing annually and affecting younger populations. Current treatment modalities such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and molecular targeted therapy can improve outcomes for some patients. However, the prognosis for those with recurrence or metastasis remains poor, highlighting an urgent need to identify novel therapeutic targets. N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification is the most prevalent and central post-transcriptional RNA modification in eukaryotes. AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5), functioning as an m⁶A demethylase, regulates RNA transcription, degradation, and translation, thereby participating in key biological processes including the cell cycle, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and remodeling of the immune microenvironment. It plays a significant role in the proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance of cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer. This review summarizes the expression characteristics and core regulatory mechanisms of ALKBH5 in these three major gynecological malignancies, aiming to provide a theoretical reference for a deeper understanding of their pathogenesis and the exploration of potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

Key words: Uterine cervical neoplasms, Ovarian neoplasms, Endometrial neoplasms, Carcinoma, Molecular targeted therapy, ALKBH5, m⁶A modification