Outline:
- Metformin is an FDA- approved drug to control blood glucose in type 2 diabetes.
- But a study by Massachusetts General Hospital found it also controls cancer
- The drug shuts off molecules needed for cancer to invade and grow in cells
Metformin targets the liver to lower blood glucose in type 2 diabetes patients. But now in an unprecedented finding, scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital have found that the same process has an anti-cancer effect. Tests have shown that the drug targets the cells’ mitochondria specifically, in a way that restricts the growth of breast, pancreas and prostate cancer.
This accidental discovery about metformin for a different disease could be groundbreaking for cancer control and treatment.
‘We found that metformin reduces the traffic of molecules into and out of the nucleus – the ‘information center’ of the cell,’ said senior author of the study Dr Alexander Soukas. He added: ‘By shedding new light on metformin’s health-promoting effects, these results offer new potential ways that we can think about treating cancer and increasing healthy aging.’
Mechanism behind Metformin:
Metformin limits the liver’s ability to produce glucose which would be released into blood stream. It is achieved by suppressing cell’s energy, thus making it harder for molecules to travel through the nuclear pore. It also shuts down an important cellular growth molecule. (mTORC1). This activates a cancer-fighting gene called ACAD10, which both slows the growth and extends cells’ lifespan. It means cancer struggles to wage its war on the body’s cells.
Current clinical trials are testing the impact of metformin on cancers of the breast, prostate and pancreas and several research groups are working to identify its molecular targets.
Dr.Souka’s team has found that metformin has the same effect on roundworms as it does on cancer in the human body, making roundworms a perfect model for testing. Just as it blocks the growth of cancer cells, metformin slows growth in roundworms.
They found that they could manipulate the worm’s cells to make it easier or harder for cancer to grow. Dr.Soukas, Assistant Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical school said.
The found they could manipulate the worm’s cells to make it easier or harder for cancer to grow. He quoted this to be the most exciting discovery. That suggests that the nuclear pore and ACAD10 may be manipulated in specific circumstances to prevent or even treat certain cancers. However, more research is needed to determine the exact mechanisms behind this to develop effective treatments.
Determining exactly how ACAD10 slows cell growth will provide additional insights into developing novel therapeutics for cancer and ways to manipulate the pathway to promote healthy aging, said Professor.