CircRREB1 Mediates Metabolic Reprogramming and Stemness Maintenance to Facilitate Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Progression

Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal tumor with limited treatment options and poor patient survival. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play crucial regulatory roles in the occurrence and development of various cancers, including PDAC. Here, using circRNA sequencing of diverse PDAC samples, we identified circRREB1 as an oncogenic circRNA that is significantly upregulated in PDAC and is correlated with an unfavorable patient prognosis. Functionally, loss of circRREB1 markedly inhibited glycolysis and stemness, while elevated circRREB1 elicited the opposite effects. Mechanistically, circRREB1 interacted with PGK1, disrupting the association between PTEN and PGK1 and increasing PGK1 phosphorylation to activate glycolytic flux. Moreover, circRREB1 promoted WNT7B transcription by directly interacting with YBX1 and facilitating its nuclear translocation, consequently activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to maintain PDAC stemness. Overall, these results highlight circRREB1 as a key regulator of metabolic and stemness properties of PDAC.