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Metformin boosts doxorubicin efficacy and increases CD8 + T cell frequency in mouse breast cancer
Elaheh Hassani1, Sahand Mozzendizaji2, Vahid Shafiei-Irannejad3
1Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
Purpose:
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. The presence and function of CD8 + T cells in the tumor microenvironment have been associated with better patient outcomes. Drug toxicity has posed a significant challenge to the clinical implementation of chemotherapy-based strategies in cancer treatment.
Methods:
In this study, we employed flow cytometry to investigate the potential synergistic immunomodulatory effects on CD8 + T cells in a mouse model of breast cancer by combining metformin, an anti-diabetic medication, with doxorubicin.
Results:
Through flow cytometry analysis, we observed that the combination of the two drugs led to an increased percentage of CD8 + T cells compared to either drug alone. The modulation of HIF-1α and STAT3 gene expression in the combination group further confirmed the efficacy of this approach.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that combining metformin with doxorubicin can enhance the anticancer activity of doxorubicin and decrease its cytotoxicity in a 4T1 breast cancer mouse model.
