Mechanistic analyses revealed two functional targets of FTO; first, upregulation of Myeloid Zinc Finger Protein 1 (MZF1) in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), and second: ubiquitin-specific protease-7 (USP7) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, USP7 is linked to non-small cell lung carcinoma.