TAKE AN OLD DRUG AND STAY YOUNG? METFORMIN AS AN ANTI-AGING MEDICATION – A LITERATURE REVIEW.

Abstract

AIMS: Metformin is the main drug used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and the most widely prescribed oral antihyperglycemic medication. Its mechanism of action is still not completely understood and research into new uses for the compound is still ongoing, with one possible novel application of the medication being to combat aging on both the cellular and the macroscopic level. The aim of the study is to evaluate the current state of knowledge on metformin’s potential as a lifespan-extending and anti-senescence drug, present evidence on the matter and assess possible lanes of further study into such effects. METHODS: The literature review was performed using Internet research paper databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline), using articles available in English. RESULTS: Multiple papers suggest tentative support for the notion that metformin may contribute to slowing cellular senescence, as well as to extending the human lifespan. Theoretical knowledge exists that shows possible routes of action of metformin in this regard. CONCLUSIONS: There is ample evidence in the literature for metformin’s possible effects as an anti-aging drug. Numerous cellular pathways by which it could exert lifespan-extending effects have been elucidated, and in vivo studies on some non-human animals have shown a measurable decrease in their production of aging markers, as well as an increase in the lifespan. Studies on diabetic patients have also demonstrated a significant reduction in all-cause mortality in that particular group. However, there is a lack of data and a need for more research that would investigate metformin’s potential as a universal anti-senescence agent more directly. Two large-scale studies (MILES and TAME) in the area are currently underway.