ArticleOncotarget2017
Metformin activates type I interferon signaling against HCV via activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase.
Article in Oncotarget, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 40 citations in OpenAlex.
- Metformin and Time to Sustained Recovery in Adults With COVID-19: The ACTIV-6 Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA internal medicine · 2025Trial
- AMPK-Orchestrated Metabolic Reprogramming in Some Flavivirus Infections: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities.Viruses · 2026Review
- Broad-acting antivirals: the pursuit of pan-viral therapeutics in the era of pandemics.Journal of virology · 2026Review
- Article
- AMPK activation by hepatitis E virus infection inhibits viral replication through attenuation of autophagosomes and promotion of innate immunity.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2025Article
- Review
- Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: From Basics to Clinical and Nutritional Management.Clinics and practice · 2024Review
- Transcriptomic Analysis of Metformin's Effect on Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Infection.Veterinary sciences · 2024Article
- Metformin Inhibits Zika Virus Infection in Trophoblast Cell Line.Current microbiology · 2024Article
- A Dual Pharmacological Strategy against COVID-19: The Therapeutic Potential of Metformin and Atorvastatin.Microorganisms · 2024Review
- Preparing for the next viral threat with broad-spectrum antivirals.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2023Review
- Unveiling the potential pleiotropic effects of metformin in treating COVID-19: a comprehensive review.Frontiers in molecular biosciences · 2023Review
- Protection by metformin against severe Covid-19: An in-depth mechanistic analysis.Diabetes & metabolism · 2022Review
- Redox Homeostasis Involvement in the Pharmacological Effects of Metformin in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.Antioxidants & redox signaling · 2022Review
- Multifaceted Role of AMPK in Viral Infections.Cells · 2021Review
- The antiviral effect of metformin on zika and dengue virus infection.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Interferon-inducer antivirals: Potential candidates to combat COVID-19.International immunopharmacology · 2021Review
- The Fatty Acid Lipid Metabolism Nexus in COVID-19.Viruses · 2021Review
- Anti-flavivirus Properties of Lipid-Lowering Drugs.Frontiers in physiology · 2021Review
- Metformin Modulates T Cell Function and Alleviates Liver Injury Through Bioenergetic Regulation in Viral Hepatitis.Frontiers in immunology · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Activation of the type I interferon (IFN) signaling pathway is essential for the eradication of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Metformin can activate adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to reduce insulin resistance. Cross talks between AMPK and IFN signaling remain unclear. To understand the influence of metformin on the type I IFN signaling pathway and HCV infection, the full-length HCV replicon OR6 cells and the infectious HCV clones JFH1 were used to assess the anti-HCV effect of the insulin sensitizers, metformin and pioglitazone. Immunofluorescence staining and the immunoblotting of HCV viral protein demonstrated that metformin, but not pioglitazone, inhibited HCV replication in OR-6 and JFH-1-infected Huh 7.5.1 cells. Immunoblotting data showed that metformin activated the phosphorylation of STAT-1 and STAT-2 in OR-6 and JFH-1 infected Huh 7.5.1 cells. Metformin enhanced the phosphorylation of AMPK, and the metformin-activated IFN signaling was down-regulated by AMPK inhibitor. After treatment of AMPK inhibitor, the level of HCV core protein decreased by metformin can be rescued. In conclusion, metformin activates type I interferon signaling and inhibits the replication of HCV via activation of AMPK.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.