Metformin: A Promising Antidiabetic Medication for Cancer Treatment

Abstract: Metformin is a widely used drug in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metformin in-hibits hepatic gluconeogenesis and increases glucose utilization in peripheral tissues. In recent years, several studies have shown that metformin is a potential therapeutic agent against cancer, alone or combined with other anticancer treatments. Metformin mainly activates the AMPK com-plex and regulates intracellular energy status, inhibiting the mitochondrial respiratory chain com-plex I and reducing the production of reactive oxygen species. Other anticancer targets of metfor-min are specific transcription factors inhibiting cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis and reducing drug resistance. In addition, metformin modulates tumor cells' response to anticancer treatments, favoring the activity of T cells. In diabetic patients, metformin reduces the occurrence of cancer and improves the prognosis and efficacy of anticancer treatments. In this review, we provided a com-prehensive perspective of metformin as an anticancer drug.