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Metformin is a Novel Suppressor for Vimentin in Human Gastric Cancer Cell Line

Shiva Valaee1, Mehdi Shamsara2, Mohammad Mehdi Yaghoobi1

  • 1Research Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran.

International Journal of Molecular and Cellular Medicine
|February 18, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Metformin effectively downregulates vimentin in gastric cancer cells, similar to vimentin-specific siRNA. This reduces cancer cell migration and invasion, suggesting metformin as a promising alternative for controlling metastasis.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Vimentin, an intermediate filament protein, is crucial for mesenchymal cells and is upregulated during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
  • Increased vimentin expression is linked to cancer metastasis, making it a target for therapeutic intervention.
  • Current strategies to inhibit EMT markers involve drugs or small interfering RNA (siRNA).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of metformin in downregulating vimentin expression in AGS gastric cancer cells.
  • To compare the effects of metformin with vimentin-specific siRNA (vim-siRNA) on vimentin levels and cancer cell behavior.
  • To evaluate metformin as a potential alternative to siRNA for inhibiting gastric cancer cell migration and invasion.

Main Methods:

  • AGS gastric cancer cells were treated with metformin and vim-siRNA for 48 hours.
  • Vimentin downregulation was assessed using quantitative PCR and Western blot.
  • Cell motility, migration, and invasion were analyzed using wound-healing and invasion assays.

Main Results:

  • Metformin treatment resulted in vimentin downregulation comparable to that achieved with vim-siRNA.
  • Both metformin and vim-siRNA significantly decreased the migration and invasion capabilities of AGS cells.
  • This study is the first to show metformin's potential as an alternative to siRNA for inhibiting vimentin expression and cell migration.

Conclusions:

  • Metformin serves as a viable alternative to vimentin-specific siRNA for inhibiting vimentin expression and reducing migration in AGS gastric cancer cells.
  • Metformin offers potential advantages over siRNA due to its stability, cost-effectiveness, and simpler delivery.
  • Further in vivo studies are warranted to explore metformin's therapeutic potential in inhibiting EMT and cancer metastasis.
Keywords:
Gastric cancerepithelial-mesenchymal transitionmetforminvimentin

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