Phenformin: AMP(K)ed for Potential Repurposing

Joo Jung; Wendy B Bollag

doi:10.1016/j.jid.2020.06.008

Phenformin: AMP(K)ed for Potential Repurposing

J Invest Dermatol. 2021 Jan;141(1):11-14. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2020.06.008.

Authors

Joo Jung¹, Wendy B Bollag²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA.
² Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA; Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA. Electronic address: wbollag@augusta.edu.

PMID: 33342506
DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2020.06.008

Abstract

The results in the article by Zhou et al. (2020) demonstrate that the antidiabetic drug phenformin inhibits skin tumor growth and promotes keratinocyte differentiation, and an underlying mechanism is also defined. In this commentary, additional potential mechanisms through which phenformin may exert its antitumorigenic effect are described. Thus, the proposed repurposing of phenformin to treat skin cancer has merit.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Comment

MeSH terms

Adenosine Monophosphate
Drug Repositioning
Humans
Hypoglycemic Agents / pharmacology
Neoplasms*
Phenformin* / pharmacology

Substances

Hypoglycemic Agents
Adenosine Monophosphate
Phenformin

Grants and funding

I01 CX001357/CX/CSRD VA/United States