Diabetes Drug Metformin Kills Tumor Cells

Tumor cells that lack the regulatory gene p53 can be killed by the widely-prescribed diabetes drug Metformin- according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

According to senior author Craig B. Thompson, MD, Director of the Abramson Cancer Center and Chairman and Professor of Cancer Biology and Medicine:

“This is the first time you can show that tumor growth is impaired by a diabetes drug. It is specific for tumors that lack p53, which is the most common mutation in human cancer.”

p53 is best known as a regulator of cell division and a tumor supressor protein.

Apparently, more than half of all human cancers have lost the p53 gene – making molecularly targeted therapies practically useless because there is nothing to target.

Significantly, the regulation of metabolic pathways by p53 is also influenced by metformin, the most widely used diabetes drug.

Metformin activates the metabolic enzyme AMPK (AMP activated protein kinase), which exerts changes on cellular metabolism by affecting p53 function.

Two observational studies already show that diabetic patients who take metformin have a lower rate of cancer diagnosis and mortality than other diabetics.

Although the study was conducted on mice, the findings can be potentially translated in humans.

Findings have been reported last month in Cancer Research.

Metformin is commercially popular as Glucophage® – a product of Bristol Myers Squibb.

Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine