In colon cancer, HOXB-AS3 can competitively bind to arginine residues in the RGG motif of hnRNP A1 by encoding a conserved 53-aa peptide, thus blocking hnRNP A1 dependent pyruvate kinase M(PKM) splicing, PKM2 formation and subsequent colon cancer cell metabolic reprogramming to inhibit tumorigenesis. Here, PKM is linked to malignant colon neoplasm.