Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34044797›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2021

Metformin alters therapeutic effects in the BALB/c tumor therapy model.

Felix B Meyer, Sophie Goebel, Sonja B Spangel, Christiane Leovsky, Doerte Hoelzer, René Thierbach

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 44% 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. 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 1 institution in 1 country.

Felix B MeyerFriedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Fakultät für Biowissenschaften, Institut für Ernährungswissenschaften, Abteilung Humanernährung, Jena, Germany.
Sophie GoebelFriedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Fakultät für Biowissenschaften, Institut für Ernährungswissenschaften, Abteilung Humanernährung, Jena, Germany.
Sonja B SpangelFriedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Fakultät für Biowissenschaften, Institut für Ernährungswissenschaften, Abteilung Humanernährung, Jena, Germany.
Christiane LeovskyFriedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Fakultät für Biowissenschaften, Institut für Ernährungswissenschaften, Abteilung Humanernährung, Jena, Germany.
Doerte HoelzerFriedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Fakultät für Biowissenschaften, Institut für Ernährungswissenschaften, Abteilung Humanernährung, Jena, Germany.
René ThierbachFriedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Fakultät für Biowissenschaften, Institut für Ernährungswissenschaften, Abteilung Humanernährung, Jena, Germany. rene.thierbach@uni-jena.de.
Friedrich Schiller University Jena · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDespite considerable medical proceedings, cancer is still a leading cause of death. Major problems for tumor therapy are chemoresistance as well as toxic side effects. In recent years, the additional treatment with the antidiabetic drug metformin during chemotherapy showed promising results in some cases. The aim of this study was to develop an in vitro tumor therapy model in order to further investigate the potential of a combined chemotherapy with metformin.

methodsCytotoxic effects of a combined treatment on BALB/c fibroblasts were proven by the resazurin assay. Based on the BALB/c cell transformation assay, the BALB/c tumor therapy model was established successfully with four different and widely used chemotherapeutics from different categories. Namely, Doxorubicin as a type-II isomerase inhibitor, Docetaxel as a spindle toxin, Mitomycin C as an alkylating agent and 5-Fluorouracil as an antimetabolite. Moreover, glucose consumption in the medium supernatant was measured and protein expressions were determined by Western Blotting.

resultsInitial tests for the combined treatment with metformin indicated unexpected results as metformin could partly mitigate the cytotoxic effects of the chemotherapeutic agents. These results were further confirmed as metformin induced resistance to some of the drugs when applied simultaneously in the tumor therapy model. Mechanistically, an increased glucose consumption was observed in non-transformed cells as well as in the mixed population of malignant transformed cell foci and non-transformed monolayer cells, suggesting that metformin could also increase glucose consumption in transformed cells.

conclusionIn conclusion, this study suggests a cautious use of metformin during chemotherapy. Moreover, the BALB/c tumor therapy model offers a potent tool for further mechanistic studies of drug-drug interactions during cancer therapy.

Indexed as

AnimalsAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsBALB 3T3 CellsCarcinogensCell SurvivalCell Transformation, NeoplasticCulture MediaDocetaxelDoxorubicinDrug Evaluation, PreclinicalDrug InteractionsFluorouracilGlucoseHumansMetforminMethylcholanthreneCarcinogensCulture MediaDocetaxelDoxorubicinFluorouracilGlucoseMetforminMethylcholanthreneMitomycinAdjuvantCancerEnergy metabolismIn vitro modelMetformin

Identifiers

PMID34044797
PMCPMC8161985
OpenAlexW3165392784

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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 OpenQuestion graph.