二甲双胍抗肿瘤作用及其分子机制的研究进展.

Metformin is one of the most commonly used drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), with the advantages of convenient use, good efficacy, safety, inexpensive and small side effects. Epidemiological studies suggest that metformin may reduce the cancer risks and overall cancer mortality. Recent studies in vitro and in vivo indicate that metformin inhibits cancer cell growth and reduces cancer risk. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its effects on cancer are not clear yet, mainly including insulin-IGF axis, AMPK pathway, regulation of micro RNAs expression, caspase family activation, blockage of AGE-RAGE system, and et al. These molecular mechanisms may provide an important theoretical basis for metformin to prevent and treat cancer in the future. Here, we pooled data currently available to comprehensively review the antitumor effects and the molecular mechanisms of metformin, an antidiabetic drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]