RNA plays essential roles in not only translating nucleic acids into proteins, but also in gene regulation, environmental interactions, and many human diseases. RNA modifications can be added or removed by a variety of enzymes that catalyze the necessary reactions, and these modifications play roles in essential molecular mechanisms. The prevalent modifications on mRNA include N6-methyladenosine (m6A), N1-methyladenosine (m1A), 5-methylcytosine (m5C), 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hm5C), pseudouridine (Ψ), inosine (I), uridine (U), ribose-methylation (2'-O-Me), etc. Most of these modifications contribute to pre-mRNA splicing, nuclear export, transcript stability, and translation initiation in eukaryotic cells.

By participating in various physiological processes, RNA modifications have regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of various human diseases. Recently, it has been reported that oxidative stress, a term that describes the imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants, leads to the disruption of redox signals and causes molecular damage. Excessive ROS, generated from various endogenous oxidative biochemical enzymes, interferes with the normal function of cells. Increased oxidative stress from diverse sources has been implicated in various human diseases, such as atherosclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer disease, and cancer. Limited evidence suggests that RNA modifications can modulate oxidative stress in human diseases through diverse mechanisms. It is worth noting that oxidative stress also plays a regulatory role in RNA modifications. However, the related studies are still few, and the role of RNA modifications in oxidative stress remains to be clarified.

This Special Issue aims to encourage researchers to submit original research and review articles focused on the discovery of novel RNA modification targets and drugs regulating oxidative stress in human diseases. We hope that the research of this Special Issue will improve our understanding of current and potential therapeutic strategies. We also hope that this provides an understanding of novel candidate targets for treatment.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Molecular mechanisms of epigenetic modifications (e.g., m6A, m1A, m5C, (hm5C, Ψ, I, U, 2'-O-Me) regulating oxidative stress
• The role of oxidative stress in RNA modification-based therapy
• Drug discovery and rational design targeting RNA modifications through redox balance for the treatment of human diseases
• Identification of novel RNA modification targets and signaling pathways involved in oxidative stress in human diseases
• In vivo and in vitro studies focused on the RNA modification mechanism of small molecular compounds regulating oxidative stress
• Crosstalk between RNA modifications and oxidative stress in human diseases
• The role of RNA modifications in oxidative stress-induced cellular senescence
• Discovery of novel RNA modification types regulating oxidative stress