Possible Role of Metformin as an Immune Modulator in the Tumor Microenvironment of Ovarian Cancer
1
College of Science, Health and Pharmacy, Roosevelt University, Schaumburg, IL 60173, USA
2
Loyola Medicine, Berwyn, IL 60402, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(2), 867; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22020867
Received: 8 January 2021
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Accepted: 13 January 2021
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Published: 16 January 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacologic Targeting of the Tumor Microenvironment)
Growing evidence suggests that the immune component of the tumor microenvironment (TME) may be highly involved in the progression of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), as an immunosuppressive TME is associated with worse patient outcomes. Due to the poor prognosis of HGSOC, new therapeutic strategies targeting the TME may provide a potential path forward for preventing disease progression to improve patient survival. One such postulated approach is the repurposing of the type 2 diabetes medication, metformin, which has shown promise in reducing HGSOC tumor progression in retrospective epidemiological analyses and through numerous preclinical studies. Despite its potential utility in treating HGSOC, and that the immune TME is considered as a key factor in the disease’s progression, little data has definitively shown the ability of metformin to target this component of the TME. In this brief review, we provide a summary of the current understanding of the effects of metformin on leukocyte function in ovarian cancer and, coupled with data from other related disease states, posit the potential mechanisms by which the drug may enhance the anti-tumorigenic effects of immune cells to improve HGSOC patient survival.
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Keywords:
ovarian cancer; metformin; omentum; tumor microenvironment; T cell; myeloid-derived suppressor cell; neutrophil; macrophage
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MDPI and ACS Style
Tsogas, F.K.; Majerczyk, D.; Hart, P.C. Possible Role of Metformin as an Immune Modulator in the Tumor Microenvironment of Ovarian Cancer. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 867. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22020867
AMA Style
Tsogas FK, Majerczyk D, Hart PC. Possible Role of Metformin as an Immune Modulator in the Tumor Microenvironment of Ovarian Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021; 22(2):867. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22020867
Chicago/Turabian StyleTsogas, Faye K., Daniel Majerczyk, and Peter C. Hart. 2021. "Possible Role of Metformin as an Immune Modulator in the Tumor Microenvironment of Ovarian Cancer" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, no. 2: 867. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22020867
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