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Molecular mechanisms of action of metformin: latest advances and therapeutic implications
Hong Zhu1, Zhenquan Jia2, Yunbo Robert Li3
1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine, Campbell University SOM, Buies Creek, NC, USA. zhu@campbell.edu.
Abstract:
Metformin is among the most widely used antidiabetic drugs. Studies over the past few years have identified multiple novel molecular targets and pathways that metformin acts on to exert its beneficial effects in treating type 2 diabetes as well as other disorders involving dysregulated inflammation and redox homeostasis. In this mini-review, we discuss the latest cutting-edge research discoveries on novel molecular targets of metformin in glycemic control, cardiovascular protection, cancer intervention, anti-inflammation, antiaging, and weight control. Identification of these novel targets and pathways not only deepens our understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which metformin exerts diverse beneficial biological effects, but also provides opportunities for developing new mechanistically based drugs for human diseases.
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