» Articles » PMID: 34873484

Dual Anticancer Role of Metformin: an Old Drug Regulating AMPK Dependent/independent Pathways in Metabolic, Oncogenic/tumorsuppresing and Immunity Context

Overview
Journal Am J Cancer Res
Specialty Oncology
Date 2021 Dec 7
PMID 34873484
Citations 11
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Metformin has been known to treat type 2 diabetes for decades and is widely prescribed antidiabetic drug. Recently, its anticancer potential has also been discovered. Moreover, metformin has low cost thus it has attained profound research interest. Comprehensing the complexity of the molecular regulatory networks in cancer provides a mode for advancement of research in cancer development and treatment. Metformin targets many pathways that play an important role in cancer cell survival outcome. Here, we described anticancer activity of metformin on the AMPK dependent/independent mechanisms regulating metabolism, oncogene/tumor suppressor signaling pathways together with the issue of clinical studies. We also provided brief overwiev about recently described metformin's role in cancer immunity. Insight in these complex molecular networks, will simplify application of metformin in clinical trials and contribute to improvement of anti-cancer therapy.

Citing Articles

The Anti-Aging Mechanism of Metformin: From Molecular Insights to Clinical Applications.

Zhang T, Zhou L, Makarczyk M, Feng P, Zhang J Molecules. 2025; 30(4).

PMID: 40005128 PMC: 11858480. DOI: 10.3390/molecules30040816.


Metformin inhibits the growth of SCLC cells by inducing autophagy and apoptosis via the suppression of EGFR and AKT signalling.

Xia H, Tai X, Cheng W, Wu Y, He D, Wang L Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):6081.

PMID: 39971923 PMC: 11839993. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-87537-z.


Metformin-based nanomedicines for reprogramming tumor immune microenvironment.

Liu J, Li X, Li Y, Gong Q, Luo K Theranostics. 2025; 15(3):993-1016.

PMID: 39776799 PMC: 11700864. DOI: 10.7150/thno.104872.


Metformin may improve the outcome of patients with colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus partly through effects on neutrophil extracellular traps.

Saito A, Koinuma K, Kawashima R, Miyato H, Ohzawa H, Horie H BJC Rep. 2024; 1(1):20.

PMID: 39516686 PMC: 11524073. DOI: 10.1038/s44276-023-00022-w.


Rethinking about Metformin: Promising Potentials.

Kim K Korean J Fam Med. 2024; 45(5):258-267.

PMID: 39182908 PMC: 11427230. DOI: 10.4082/kjfm.24.0156.


References
1.
Sato A, Sunayama J, Okada M, Watanabe E, Seino S, Shibuya K . Glioma-initiating cell elimination by metformin activation of FOXO3 via AMPK. Stem Cells Transl Med. 2012; 1(11):811-24. PMC: 3659661. DOI: 10.5966/sctm.2012-0058. View

2.
Athreya A, Kalari K, Cairns J, Gaglio A, Wills Q, Niu N . Model-based unsupervised learning informs metformin-induced cell-migration inhibition through an AMPK-independent mechanism in breast cancer. Oncotarget. 2017; 8(16):27199-27215. PMC: 5432329. DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16109. View

3.
Ma R, Yi B, Riker A, Xi Y . Metformin and cancer immunity. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2020; 41(11):1403-1409. PMC: 7656961. DOI: 10.1038/s41401-020-00508-0. View

4.
Khan A, Frigo D . A spatiotemporal hypothesis for the regulation, role, and targeting of AMPK in prostate cancer. Nat Rev Urol. 2017; 14(3):164-180. PMC: 5672799. DOI: 10.1038/nrurol.2016.272. View

5.
Blandino G, Valerio M, Cioce M, Mori F, Casadei L, Pulito C . Metformin elicits anticancer effects through the sequential modulation of DICER and c-MYC. Nat Commun. 2012; 3:865. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1859. View