Pryor, R;
Cabreiro, F;
(2015)
Repurposing Metformin: An old drug with new tricks in its binding pockets.
Biochemical Journal
, 471
(3)
pp. 307-322.
10.1042/BJ20150497.
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Abstract
Improvements in healthcare and nutrition have generated remarkable increases in life expectancy worldwide. This is one of the greatest achievements of the modern world yet it also presents a grave challenge: as more people survive into later life, more also experience the diseases of old age, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Developing new ways to improve health in the elderly is therefore a top priority for biomedical research. Whilst our understanding of the molecular basis of these morbidities has advanced rapidly, effective novel treatments are still lacking. Alternative drug development strategies are now being explored such as the repurposing of existing drugs used to treat other diseases. This can save a considerable amount of time and money since the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety profiles of these drugs are already established, effectively enabling preclinical studies to be bypassed. Metformin is one such drug currently being investigated for novel applications. This review provides a thorough and detailed account of our current understanding of the molecular pharmacology and signalling mechanisms underlying biguanide-protein interactions. It also focuses on the key role of the microbiota in regulating age-associated morbidities and a potential role for metformin to modulate its function. Research in this area holds the key to solving many of the mysteries of our current understanding of drug action and concerted effects to provide sustained and long-life health.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Repurposing Metformin: An old drug with new tricks in its binding pockets |
| Location: | United Kingdom |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1042/BJ20150497 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/BJ20150497 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Metformin, Phenformin, Biguanides, Type2 diabetes, Cancer, Ageing, Microbiota, Cardiovascular disease |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1471557 |
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