Exosome‐delivered circRNA promotes glycolysis to induce chemoresistance through the miR‐122‐PKM2 axis in colorectal cancer

Malignant tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC), usually rely on ATP generation through aerobic glycolysis for both rapid growth and chemotherapy resistance. The M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) has a key role in catalyzing glycolysis, and PKM2 expression varies even within a single tumor. In this study, we confirmed that expression of PKM2 is heterogeneous in CRC cells, namely high in oxaliplatin-resistant cells but relatively low in sensitive cells, and found that chemoresistant cells had enhanced glycolysis and ATP production. In addition, we report a PKM2-dependent mechanism through which chemosensitive cells may gradually transform into chemoresistant cells. The circular RNA hsa_circ_0005963…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 81602156, 81802363, 81772629, 81602158, 81974374, 81702437, 2018ZX09201015, 81702431, 201906, 81702275, 81772843
• TM
  Tianjin Medical University
• TR
  Tianjin Research Innovation Project for Postgraduate Students