Metformin Treatment Reduces CRC Aggressiveness in a Glucose-Independent Manner: An In Vitro and Ex Vivo Study

Marie Boutaud; Clément Auger; Mireille Verdier; Niki Christou

doi:10.3390/cancers15143724

Metformin Treatment Reduces CRC Aggressiveness in a Glucose-Independent Manner: An In Vitro and Ex Vivo Study

Cancers (Basel). 2023 Jul 22;15(14):3724. doi: 10.3390/cancers15143724.

Authors

Marie Boutaud¹, Clément Auger¹, Mireille Verdier¹, Niki Christou^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ UMR-INSERM 1308 CAPTuR, Faculté de Médecine, Institut OmegaHealth, Université de Limoges, 2 Rue du Dr Raymond Marcland, CEDEX, 87025 Limoges, France.
² Service de Chirurgie Digestive, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, 2 Av. Martin Luther King, CEDEX, 87000 Limoges, France.

Abstract

(1) Background: Metformin, an anti-diabetic drug, seems to protect against aggressive acquisition in colorectal cancers (CRCs). However, its mechanisms are still really unknown, raising questions about the possibility of its positive impact on non-diabetic patients with CRC. (2) Methods: An in vitro study based on human colon cancer cell lines and an ex vivo study with different colon cancer stages with proteomic and transcriptomic analyses were initiated. (3) Results: Metformin seems to protect from colon cancer invasive acquisition, irrespective of glucose concentration. (4) Conclusions: Metformin could be used as an adjuvant treatment to surgery for both diabetic and non-diabetic patients in order to prevent the acquisition of aggressiveness and, ultimately, recurrences.

Keywords: colorectal cancer; glucose levels; in vitro study; metformin; patients’ cohort.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by La Ligue contre le cancer, comité du Limousin, M.B. and C.A. are supported by a grant from the Nouvelle Aquitaine region (respectively, n°: AAPR2022-2021-17224010 and 2018-1R 3021).