Anticancer mechanisms of metformin: A review of the current evidence - PubMed (original) (raw)
Review
Anticancer mechanisms of metformin: A review of the current evidence
Bin Zhao et al. Life Sci. 2020.
Abstract
Metformin, a US Food and Drug Administration-approved "star" drug used for diabetes mellitus type 2, has become a topic of increasing interest to researchers due to its anti-neoplastic effects. Growing evidence has demonstrated that metformin may be a promising chemotherapeutic agent, and several clinical trials of metformin use in cancer treatment are ongoing. However, the anti-neoplastic effects of metformin and its underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. In this review, we present the newest findings on the anticancer activities of metformin, and highlight its diverse anticancer mechanisms. Several clinical trials, as well as the limitations of the current evidence are also demonstrated. This review explores the crucial roles of metformin and provides supporting evidence for the repurposing of metformin as a treatment of cancer.
Keywords: Apoptosis; Autophagy; Epigenetic modification; Immunoregulation; Metformin.
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Conflict of interest statement
Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
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