ArticleCell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)2016
Metformin inhibits proliferation and migration of glioblastoma cells independently of TGF-β2.
Article in Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.), 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers.
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.
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
27 citing papers in PubMed, 43 citations in OpenAlex.
- Predictive value of temporal muscle thickness for prognosis in newly diagnosed IDH wild-type glioblastoma patients: evaluated for a Chinese population.European radiology · 2025Article
- Metformin and its Nanoformulations in Cancer Prevention and Therapy.Current pharmaceutical design · 2025Review
- Metformin-loaded nanoerythrosomes: An erythrocyte-based drug delivery system as a therapeutic tool for glioma.Heliyon · 2023Article
- Heterogeneity of Amino Acid Profiles of Proneural and Mesenchymal Brain-Tumor Initiating Cells.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
- Ion Channels in Gliomas-From Molecular Basis to Treatment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- Interactions between microglia and glioma in tumor microenvironment.Frontiers in oncology · 2023Review
- Metabolic Heterogeneity of Brain Tumor Cells of Proneural and Mesenchymal Origin.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Article
- Article
- A novel biguanide (IM1761065) inhibits bioenergetics of glioblastoma tumorspheres.Journal of neuro-oncology · 2022Article
- Pharmacological strategies for improving the prognosis of glioblastoma.Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy · 2021Article
- Metformin and Risk of Malignant Brain Tumors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.Biomolecules · 2021Observational
- The Diagnostic and Therapeutic Role of Leptin and Its Receptor ObR in Glioblastoma Multiforme.Cancers · 2020Review
- Review
- Metformin as Potential Therapy for High-Grade Glioma.Cancers · 2020Article
- Effect of metformin on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion in A172 glioma cells and its mechanisms.Molecular medicine reports · 2019Article
- Metformin triggers the intrinsic apoptotic response in human AGS gastric adenocarcinoma cells by activating AMPK and suppressing mTOR/AKT signaling.International journal of oncology · 2019Article
- Repurposed Biguanide Drugs in Glioblastoma Exert Antiproliferative Effects via the Inhibition of Intracellular Chloride Channel 1 Activity.Frontiers in oncology · 2019Review
- Pleiotropic Effects of Metformin on Cancer.International journal of molecular sciences · 2018Review
- Drug Repurposing of Metabolic Agents in Malignant Glioma.International journal of molecular sciences · 2018Review
- Combined Modulation of Tumor Metabolism by Metformin and Diclofenac in Glioma.International journal of molecular sciences · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
18 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
To this day, glioblastoma (GBM) remains an incurable brain tumor. Previous research has shown that metformin, an oral anti-diabetic drug, may decrease GBM cell proliferation and migration especially in brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs). As transforming growth factor β 2 (TGF-β2) has been reported to promote high-grade glioma and is inhibited by metformin in other tumors, we explored whether metformin directly interferes with TGF-β2-signaling. Functional investigation of proliferation and migration of primary BTICs after treatment with metformin+/-TGF-β2 revealed that metformin doses as low as 0.01 mM metformin thrice a day were able to inhibit proliferation of susceptible cell lines, whereas migration was impacted only at higher doses. Known cellular mechanisms of metformin, such as increased lactate secretion, reduced oxygen consumption and activated AMPK-signaling, could be confirmed. However, TGF-β2 and metformin did not act as functional antagonists, but both rather inhibited proliferation and/or migration, if significant effects were present. We did not observe a relevant influence of metformin on TGF-β2 mRNA expression (qRT-PCR), TGF-β2 protein expression (ELISA) or SMAD-signaling (Western blot). Therefore, it seems that metformin does not exert its inhibitory effects on GBM BTIC proliferation and migration by altering TGF-β2-signaling. Nonetheless, as low doses of metformin are able to reduce proliferation of certain GBM cells, further exploration of predictors of BTICs' susceptibility to metformin appears justified.
Indexed as
Identifiers
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.