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Metformin inhibits melanoma cell metastasis by suppressing the miR-5100/SPINK5/STAT3 axis

Dong Suwei1,2, Xiao Yanbin3,4, Wang Jianqiang1

  • 1Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, People's Republic of China.

Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters
|June 15, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Metformin inhibits melanoma metastasis by targeting the miR-5100/SPINK5/STAT3 pathway. This study reveals metformin

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Metastasis Research

Background:

  • Melanoma, a lethal skin cancer, exhibits high metastatic potential, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Metformin is known to suppress cancer invasion and migration, but its antimetastatic mechanisms in melanoma require further elucidation.

Discussion:

  • Microarray analysis revealed distinct mRNA and miRNA profiles between melanoma and nevus.
  • The miR-5100/SPINK5/STAT3 axis was identified as a key promoter of melanoma cell metastasis via epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
  • Metformin was shown to significantly inhibit this pathway and reduce lung metastasis in a mouse model.

Key Insights:

  • Luciferase assays confirmed miR-5100 targets SPINK5, activating STAT3 phosphorylation.
  • Co-immunoprecipitation demonstrated an indirect interaction between SPINK5 and STAT3.
  • Metformin effectively suppressed melanoma cell metastasis by inhibiting the miR-5100/SPINK5/STAT3 pathway.

Outlook:

  • Findings elucidate metformin's antimetastatic mechanisms in melanoma.
  • Metformin's potential use in preventing melanoma metastasis warrants further clinical investigation.
  • This research provides a basis for repurposing metformin as an adjuvant therapy for melanoma.
Keywords:
EMTMetforminSPINK5STAT3miR-5100

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