ArticleBMC cancer2014
Metformin anti-tumor effect via disruption of the MID1 translational regulator complex and AR downregulation in prostate cancer cells.
Article in BMC cancer, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 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
39 citing papers in PubMed, 75 citations in OpenAlex.
- Influence of diabetes mellitus and anti-diabetic drugs on pathophysiology and prognosis for primary prostate cancer.International urology and nephrology · 2026Review
- Evaluating the Impact of Common Non-Oncologic Medication Use During Radiotherapy in Patients with High-Risk Prostate Cancer.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Article
- The role of LKB1 in prostate cancer: implications for tumor progression and therapy.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025Review
- Midline 1 associated with Fas signaling enhances murine antigen-induced arthritis.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025Article
- Metformin: A Dual-Role Player in Cancer Treatment and Prevention.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- MYC is a regulator of androgen receptor inhibition-induced metabolic requirements in prostate cancer.Cell reports · 2023Article
- Sexual Dimorphism in Cardiometabolic Diseases: The Role of AMPK.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- Unraveling the Peculiar Features of Mitochondrial Metabolism and Dynamics in Prostate Cancer.Cancers · 2023Review
- Systematic review of antitumour efficacy and mechanism of metformin activity in prostate cancer models.BJUI compass · 2023Review
- SARS-COV-2 protein NSP9 promotes cytokine production by targeting TBK1.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Article
- E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Midline 1 Regulates Endothelial Cell ICAM-1 Expression and Neutrophil Adhesion in Abdominal Sepsis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Article
- TRIM18 is a critical regulator of viral myocarditis and organ inflammation.Journal of biomedical science · 2022Article
- Metformin and Cancer Hallmarks: Molecular Mechanisms in Thyroid, Prostate and Head and Neck Cancer Models.Biomolecules · 2022Review
- Identification Prognostic Value and Correlation with Tumor-Infiltrating Immune Cells of Tripartite-Motif Family Genes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.International journal of general medicine · 2022Article
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- Metformin: a novel promising option for fertility preservation during cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy.Molecular human reproduction · 2021Article
- Metformin and Malignant Tumors: Not Over the Hill.Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy · 2021Review
- Current Status and Application of Metformin for Prostate Cancer: A Comprehensive Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2020Review
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- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMetformin is an approved drug prescribed for diabetes. Its role as an anti-cancer agent has drawn significant attention because of its minimal side effects and low cost. However, its mechanism of anti-tumour action has not yet been fully clarified.
methodsThe effect on cell growth was assessed by cell counting. Western blot was used for analysis of protein levels, Boyden chamber assays for analyses of cell migration and co-immunoprecipitation (CoIP) followed by western blot, PCR or qPCR for analysis of protein-protein and protein-mRNA interactions.
resultsMetformin showed an anti-proliferative effect on a wide range of prostate cancer cells. It disrupted the AR translational MID1 regulator complex leading to release of the associated AR mRNA and subsequently to downregulation of AR protein in AR positive cell lines. Inhibition of AR positive and negative prostate cancer cells by metformin suggests involvement of additional targets. The inhibitory effect of metformin was mimicked by disruption of the MID1-α4/PP2A protein complex by siRNA knockdown of MID1 or α4 whereas AMPK activation was not required.
conclusionsFindings reported herein uncover a mechanism for the anti-tumor activity of metformin in prostate cancer, which is independent of its anti-diabetic effects. These data provide a rationale for the use of metformin in the treatment of hormone naïve and castration-resistant prostate cancer and suggest AR is an important indirect target of metformin.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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 OpenQuestion graph.