Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38612893›Full record

ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences2024

Metformin: A Dual-Role Player in Cancer Treatment and Prevention.

Mariam Ahmed Galal, Mohammed Al-Rimawi, Abdurrahman Hajeer, Huda Dahman, Samhar Alouch, Ahmad Aljada

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in International journal of molecular sciences, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
38citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
11.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

38 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 51 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Article
  6. Radiomitigators: Breakthroughs in Post-Radiation Recovery.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Genetic insights into the effect of Metformin on psychiatry disorders.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2025
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Mariam Ahmed GalalDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, P.O. Box 50927, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed Al-RimawiDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, P.O. Box 50927, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia.
Abdurrahman HajeerMedical School, University of Manchester, Manchester M14 4PX, UK.
Huda DahmanDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, P.O. Box 50927, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia.
Samhar AlouchDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, P.O. Box 50927, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmad AljadaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, P.O. Box 50927, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia.
Alfaisal University · SAUniversity of Manchester · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cancer continues to pose a significant global health challenge, as evidenced by the increasing incidence rates and high mortality rates, despite the advancements made in chemotherapy. The emergence of chemoresistance further complicates the effectiveness of treatment. However, there is growing interest in the potential of metformin, a commonly prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as an adjuvant chemotherapy agent in cancer treatment. Although the precise mechanism of action of metformin in cancer therapy is not fully understood, it has been found to have pleiotropic effects, including the modulation of metabolic pathways, reduction in inflammation, and the regulation of cellular proliferation. This comprehensive review examines the anticancer properties of metformin, drawing insights from various studies conducted in vitro and in vivo, as well as from clinical trials and observational research. This review discusses the mechanisms of action involving both insulin-dependent and independent pathways, shedding light on the potential of metformin as a therapeutic agent for different types of cancer. Despite promising findings, there are challenges that need to be addressed, such as conflicting outcomes in clinical trials, considerations regarding dosing, and the development of resistance. These challenges highlight the importance of further research to fully harness the therapeutic potential of metformin in cancer treatment. The aims of this review are to provide a contemporary understanding of the role of metformin in cancer therapy and identify areas for future exploration in the pursuit of effective anticancer strategies.

Indexed as

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2MetforminNeoplasmsCell ProliferationChemotherapy, AdjuvantHumansHyperplasiaMetforminadjuvant therapyanticancercancerchemoresistanceclinical trialsmechanisms of actionmetformin

Identifiers

PMID38612893
PMCPMC11012626
OpenAlexW4394568004

What Socratic holds

Texttitle and abstract
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.