头颈部恶性肿瘤包括发生在头颈部区域的一系列恶性肿瘤，其特点是进展快、复发率高、预后差。尽管基于手术的综合疗法取得了显着进步，但患者的 5 年生存率并未显示出实质性改善。迫切需要研究新的靶向疗法。随着表观遗传学的进步，RNA 5-甲基胞嘧啶（m5C）甲基化作为一种​​普遍的RNA修饰形式，已被大量研究证实在肿瘤发生和发展的病理过程中发挥着关键作用。然而，目前缺乏头颈恶性肿瘤领域的全面审查。本研究旨在全面综述RNA m5C甲基化调节因子在多种全身恶性肿瘤发病机制和进展中的生物学意义，重点探讨RNA m5C甲基化对头颈部恶性肿瘤的潜在影响。RNA m5C文献检索使用 PubMed 进行甲基化和头颈恶性肿瘤的研究，纳入了 46 篇相关文章。利用癌症基因组图谱（TCGA）数据库分析头颈鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）患者m5C调节因子与临床病理特征的相关性。在头颈恶性肿瘤中观察到RNA m5C甲基化调节因子的异常表达，显示与肿瘤的临床病理分级相关。RNA m5C 甲基化可能促进头颈部恶性肿瘤的进展，并可能与患者的不良预后相关。这些发现为头颈恶性肿瘤靶向治疗的开发提供了宝贵的见解。2024 AME 出版公司。版权所有。

Head and neck malignancies encompass a spectrum of malignant tumors occurring in the head and neck region, characterized by rapid progression, high recurrence rates, and dismal prognoses. Despite significant advancements in comprehensive surgery-based therapies, the 5-year survival rate for patients has not shown substantial improvement. There is an urgent need to investigate novel targeted therapies. With the advancements in epigenetics, RNA 5-methylcytosine (m5C) methylation, a prevalent form of RNA modification, has been identified by numerous studies as playing a pivotal role in the pathological processes of tumorigenesis and development. However, a comprehensive review within the realm of head and neck malignancies is currently lacking. This study aims to comprehensively review the biological implications of RNA m5C methylation regulators in the pathogenesis and progression of various systemic malignant tumors, with a specific focus on exploring the potential impact of RNA m5C methylation on head and neck malignancies.A literature search on RNA m5C methylation and head and neck malignancies was conducted using PubMed, resulting in the inclusion of 46 relevant articles. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was utilized to analyze the correlation between m5C regulatory factors and clinicopathological features in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).Aberrant expression of RNA m5C methylation regulators is observed in head and neck malignancies, displaying a correlation with the clinicopathological grading of tumors.RNA m5C methylation may contribute to the progression of head and neck malignancies and could be associated with an unfavorable prognosis for patients. These findings offer valuable insights for the development of targeted treatments for head and neck malignancies.2024 AME Publishing Company. All rights reserved.