title: Repurposing metformin for cancer treatment: current clinical studies.
abstract: In recent years, several studies have presented evidence suggesting a potential role for metformin in anti-cancer therapy. Preclinical studies have demonstrated several anticancer molecular mechanisms of metformin including mTOR inhibition, cytotoxic effects, and immunomodulation. Epidemiologic data have demonstrated decreased cancer incidence and mortality in patients taking metformin. Several clinical trials, focused on evaluation of metformin as an anti-cancer agent are presently underway. Data published from a small number of completed trials has put forth intriguing results. Clinical trials in pre-surgical endometrial cancer patients exhibited a significant decrease in Ki67 with metformin monotherapy. Another interesting observation was made in patients with breast cancer, wherein a trend towards improvement in cancer proliferation markers was noted in patients without insulin resistance. Data on survival outcomes with the use of metformin as an anti-cancer agent is awaited. This manuscript will critically review the role of metformin as a potential cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Northwestern Medicine Developmental Therapeutics Institute, Chicago, IL, USA.|Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.|Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Young Kwang
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Ayush
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arya
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Mary-Kate
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Malecek
authors.affiliation: David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel Sanghoon
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Northwestern Medicine Developmental Therapeutics Institute, Chicago, IL, USA.|Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.|Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Benedito
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.affiliation: Northwestern Medicine Developmental Therapeutics Institute, Chicago, IL, USA.|Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.|Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Sunandana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chandra
authors.affiliation: Northwestern Medicine Developmental Therapeutics Institute, Chicago, IL, USA.|Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.|Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.affiliation: Northwestern Medicine Developmental Therapeutics Institute, Chicago, IL, USA.|Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.|Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Aparna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalyan
authors.affiliation: Northwestern Medicine Developmental Therapeutics Institute, Chicago, IL, USA.|Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.|Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Altman
authors.affiliation: Northwestern Medicine Developmental Therapeutics Institute, Chicago, IL, USA.|Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.|Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.|Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Leonidas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Platanias
authors.affiliation: Northwestern Medicine Developmental Therapeutics Institute, Chicago, IL, USA.|Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.|Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giles
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D008687:Metformin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012306:Risk; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D008687:Metformin
keywords: cancer; clinical trials; metformin