CircRNAs in Immuno-Metabolic Reprogramming of Chordoma Cancer: Molecular Crosstalk and Therapeutic Potential

Slow-growing and locally invasive, chordoma is a rare malignant bone tumor, with a reported annual worldwide incidence of 0.08 per 100,000 cases. It accounts for about 3 percent of all bone tumors and about 20 percent of primary spinal tumors. The incidence rates vary between countries and races, with white/Caucasian males in the 5th or 6th decade of life having a higher prevalence. Chordoma poses significant challenges because of its high recurrence rate and resistance to several standard treatment techniques. All cancers, including chordomas, have altered energy metabolism processes that contribute to their unchecked growth and survival. The significance of non-coding RNAs, particularly circular RNAs (circRNAs), as key regulators at the intersection of cellular metabolism and immune function has been highlighted by recent discoveries. By focusing on important glycolytic enzymes in tumor cells and altering metabolic reprogramming pathways, CircRNAs can influence cancer metabolic adaptability. Furthermore, via influencing immune cell functions as immunological checkpoint signaling and macrophage polarization, circRNAs influence immune evasion in the tumor microenvironment. These frequently happen via regulating important pathway signals, like PI3K/AKT/mTOR and NRF2, or by processes like miRNA sponging, creating a tumor microenvironment that is immunosuppressive and metabolically friendly. The translational pathway of circRNA-targeted therapeutics is promoted as a developing pharmacological entity in this review, which also highlights recent information on the control of circRNA-mediated immunometabolism in chordoma and examines numerous important molecular axes. There are promising opportunities to develop novel precision treatments for chordoma by considering circRNAs as dual regulators of immunological and metabolic networks.