Mechanistically, circRHBDD1 interacts with the m6A-binding protein YTHDF1 (YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA-binding protein F1), favoring PIK3R1 (phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 1) translation and activating the PI3K/AKT pathway that contributes to the metabolic shift in cancer cells. This evidence concerns the gene AKT1 and cancer.