Metformin Activates AMPK through the Lysosomal Pathway

Metformin (N, N-dimethylbiguanide) is the most widely used first-line drug for treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). This anti-hyperglycemic drug offers clinical superiority over other glucose-lowering drugs, with little induction of hypoglycemia or weight gain and with the effects to reverse fatty liver, improve insulin sensitivity, and ameliorate cardiovascular dysfunctions associated with T2D (extensively reviewed by Foretz et al., 2014). Administration of metformin to nematodes (C. elegans) and mice gave rise to extended lifespan and health span (Barzilai et al., 2016).