METTL14 and colorectal carcinoma: Given the fact that lncRNA XIST promotes growth and invasion of colorectal cancer [19] and possesses abundant m6A sites (Additional file 7: Figure S5B and Additional file 1: Table S1) [20], it is reasonable for us to speculate that m6A may play an important role in regulating the biological behavior of CRC cells through inducing methylation of XIST. In the present study, we observed a decreased tendency of METTL14 from normal colon tissue to CRC (Fig. 1), suggesting the potential role of m6A in CRC tumorigenesis.