Using of metformin is a target metabolic therapy in oncology

It is well known that metformin is widely used for the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus. However, in numerous epidemiological studies it was shown that patients taking metformin were less likely to have cancer of different localization and had better survival prognosis. Many researchers consider metformin to be a targeted metabolic drug that has many goals: it acts on mitochondria, affects intracellular signaling, blocks channels, inhibits the formation of endothelial and platelet growth factors, reduces the level of vitamins involved in the synthesis of nucleotides and amino acids, etc. It has also been established that metformin belongs to the group of “metabostemness” drugs, that is, it acts on cancer stem cells, blocking their division. We conducted a survey study that highlights the most important mechanisms and fields of application of metformin. The study of the use of this drug in oncology will make it possible to understand the pathogenetic targets of metabolic therapy and the prevention of cancer.