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Metformin and Cancer, an Ambiguanidous Relationship.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Skuli, Sarah J 
Bakayoko, A'ishah 
Skuli, Nicolas 

Abstract

The deregulation of energetic and cellular metabolism is a signature of cancer cells. Thus, drugs targeting cancer cell metabolism may have promising therapeutic potential. Previous reports demonstrate that the widely used normoglycemic agent, metformin, can decrease the risk of cancer in type 2 diabetics and inhibit cell growth in various cancers, including pancreatic, colon, prostate, ovarian, and breast cancer. While metformin is a known adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) agonist and an inhibitor of the electron transport chain complex I, its mechanism of action in cancer cells as well as its effect on cancer metabolism is not clearly established. In this review, we will give an update on the role of metformin as an antitumoral agent and detail relevant evidence on the potential use and mechanisms of action of metformin in cancer. Analyzing antitumoral, signaling, and metabolic impacts of metformin on cancer cells may provide promising new therapeutic strategies in oncology.

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Keywords

metformin, diabetes, cancer metabolism, AMPK, PI3K, therapeutics, drug repurposing

Journal Title

Pharmaceuticals (Basel)

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1424-8247
1424-8247

Volume Title

15

Publisher

MDPI AG