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Related Experiment Video

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Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System

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Repurposing Metformin for Vascular Disease.

Chris R Triggle¹, Isra Marei¹, Kevin Ye²

¹Department of Pharmacology & Medical Education, Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar, PO Box 24144, Education City, Doha, Qatar.

Current Medicinal Chemistry

|August 1, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Metformin, a widely used type 2 diabetes drug, shows potential for treating other conditions like PCOS and cancer. Its benefits extend beyond glucose control, impacting vascular health and aging.

Keywords:

COVID-19 Metformin SARS-CoV-2 endothelium inflammation obesity type 2 diabetes vascular disease

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Area of Science:

Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Endocrinology
Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:

Metformin, a first-line anti-hyperglycemic agent for type 2 diabetes (T2D), is used by ~150 million people globally.
Historically, its benefits were attributed to hepatic effects like inhibiting gluconeogenesis and reducing insulin resistance.
Emerging evidence highlights direct endothelial protection and gut-mediated effects, including modulation of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) axis and gut microbiota.

Approach:

This review critically evaluates existing literature on metformin's therapeutic applications.
It focuses on the drug's established and potential roles in preventing and treating vascular diseases.
The analysis considers metformin's efficacy in diverse populations, including those without T2D.

Key Points:

Metformin's therapeutic targets extend beyond glucose metabolism to include vascular endothelium and the gut.
The drug influences the gut-brain axis, microbiota, and may offer cardiovascular protection.
Repurposing metformin for conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and COVID-19 is under investigation.

Conclusions:

Metformin's established anti-diabetic and cardiovascular benefits are increasingly understood through its multifaceted actions.
Further research is warranted to explore its potential in non-diabetic individuals and its role in vascular thromboinflammation.
Metformin holds promise for therapeutic repurposing in a broader range of clinical settings, including anti-aging and various chronic diseases.