Metformin in Alzheimer's disease: An overview of potential mechanisms, preclinical and clinical findings

Biochem Pharmacol. 2022 Mar:197:114945. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2022.114945. Epub 2022 Feb 5.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. The association between AD and other diseases such as diabetes is well-studied. In parallel, potential disease-modifying effects of therapeutic agents used for diabetes have been investigated in the context AD of. Metformin is a biguanide and the most commonly prescribed medication for type 2 diabetes Due to its pleiotropic properties, metformin's potential disease-modifying effects are widely studied on different pathophysiological plyers of AD such as amyloid-β (Aβ) production and clearance, tau phosphorylation, and neuroinflammation, in relevant in vitro and in vivo models. In this review, we summarize the relevant scientific literature on the effects of metformin on various aspects of AD pathophysiology.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid-β; Metformin; Tau phosphorylation.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy*
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / drug therapy*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / pharmacology
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Metformin / pharmacology
  • Metformin / therapeutic use*
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Phosphorylation / physiology
  • Plaque, Amyloid / drug therapy
  • Plaque, Amyloid / metabolism
  • tau Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • tau Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • tau Proteins
  • Metformin