Targeting RHAMM in Cancer: Crosstalk with Non-Coding RNAs and Emerging Therapeutic Strategies Including Peptides, Oligomers, Antibodies, and Vaccines.

Cancer remains a major cause of mortality worldwide, driven by complex molecular mechanisms that promote metastasis and resistance to therapy. Receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility (RHAMM) has emerged as a multifunctional regulator in cancer, contributing to cell motility, invasion, proliferation, and fibrosis. In addition to being regulated by non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, RHAMM serves as a promising therapeutic target. Recent developments in RHAMM-targeted strategies include function-blocking peptides (e.g., NPI-110, NPI-106, and P15-1), hyaluronan (HA) oligomers, and anti-RHAMM antibodies, all shown to modulate tumor stroma and suppress tumor invasiveness. Importantly, RHAMM-targeted peptide vaccines, such as the RHAMM-R3 epitope, have demonstrated immunogenicity and anti-leukemia efficacy in both pre-clinical and early clinical studies, suggesting their potential to elicit specific CD8 T-cell responses and enhance graft-versus-leukemia effects. This review summarizes the intricate roles of RHAMM in cancer progression, its modulation by ncRNAs, and the translational promise of novel RHAMM-targeting approaches, providing insights into future directions for precision cancer therapy.