Researchers at Columbia University have discovered that metformin, a well-known diabetes drug, may play an important role in stopping certain types of prostate cancer from getting worse. This breakthrough offers new hope for men with early-stage prostate cancer, especially those who are at risk of developing more aggressive disease.
The study was led by Dr. Alex Papachristodoulou and his team, who focused on a specific group of prostate tumors with low levels of a protein called NKX3.1. This protein normally helps protect the prostate, but in many aggressive cancers, its levels are reduced. The researchers found that metformin is especially effective at slowing the growth of these low-NKX3.1 tumors.
Metformin appears to work by fixing a problem in the cancer cells’ mitochondria—the part of the cell that produces energy. In tumors with low NKX3.1, mitochondrial function is impaired, which may help the cancer grow. Metformin helps restore this function, weakening the cancer cells and stopping the tumor from progressing.
In tests on mice, metformin significantly slowed the development of prostate tumors. The drug also showed encouraging links to improved survival in human patients with the same type of low-NKX3.1 tumors. These findings suggest that metformin could be especially helpful for men who are in the early stages of prostate cancer but at high risk for worsening disease.
Most men diagnosed with prostate cancer are initially placed under active surveillance, especially if their tumors are low-grade and not causing symptoms. However, some of these cancers become more aggressive over time.
Dr. Cory Abate-Shen, chair of Columbia’s Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Therapeutics, explains that metformin could be given during this watchful waiting period — when there’s still time to stop the cancer from becoming life-threatening.
What makes this discovery even more exciting is that metformin is already widely used, safe, and affordable. It’s been prescribed to millions of people around the world for managing type 2 diabetes. Using it for cancer treatment could speed up the path to clinical use, since doctors are already familiar with its effects and safety.
Researchers are now planning clinical trials to test metformin in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. These trials will help confirm whether the drug works in people the same way it did in lab tests and animal studies.
The findings also carry potential to reduce health inequalities. Black men are more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer and could benefit from a treatment like metformin, especially if it is proven to slow tumor growth in high-risk cases.
In short, this research shines new light on a well-known drug and offers a possible new tool in the fight against prostate cancer. If future studies support these results, metformin could become a low-cost, low-risk way to help many men live longer, healthier lives while keeping their cancer under control.
If you care about prostate cancer, please read studies about 5 types of bacteria linked to aggressive prostate cancer, and new strategy to treat advanced prostate cancer.
For more information about prostate cancer, please see recent studies about new way to lower risk of prostate cancer spread, and results showing three-drug combo boosts survival in metastatic prostate cancer.
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