OIP5 and colorectal cancer: Since the metabolites pyruvate, alanine and lactic acid are all associated with pyruvate metabolism and OIP5-AS1 is a conserved gene that produces a long non-coding RNA and can bind to and negatively regulate the activity of multiple cellular RNAs and microRNAs [14], we posited that the OIP5-AS1 might selectively sponge different non-overlapping miRNA partners and regulated pyruvate metabolism in different stages of colorectal cancer initiation and progression.