Diabetes Drug vs. Cancer

Harvard: Considerable evidence has indicated that a drug used for more than 50 years to treat Type 2 diabetes can also prevent or slow the growth of certain cancers. But the mechanism behind metformin’s anticancer effects has been unknown. Now, a team of Harvard Medical School investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital has identified a pathway that appears to underlie metformin’s ability both to block the growth of human cancer cells and to extend the lifespan of the C. elegans roundworm. Their findings imply that this single genetic pathway plays an important role in a wide range of organisms.

Metformin Use Associated with Reduced Risk of Developing Open-Angle Glaucoma

JAMA: Taking the medication metformin hydrochloride was associated with reduced risk of developing the sight-threatening disease open-angle glaucoma in people with diabetes, according to a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology. Medications that mimic caloric restriction such as metformin can reduce the risk of some late age-onset disease. It is unknown whether these caloric mimetic drugs affect the risk of age-associated eye diseases such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataract or glaucoma.

Study reveals the gut's role in effects of diabetes drug

London: A new study has shed light on how the diabetes drug metformin works to lower blood glucose, offering clues that could help design better treatments. Around 350 million adults have type 2 diabetes worldwide, and the number is projected to increase by 200 million by 2035. Metformin is the most widely used drug to treat type 2 diabetes, taken by 80 million users worldwide, but exactly how it works has remained unclear. The new study, which looked at metformin’s effects in rats, showed that the gut is responsible for sensing the drug and sending signals to the brain, which then signals to the liver to reduce glucose production.