The intersection of metformin and inflammation

The biguanide metformin is the most commonly used antidiabetic drug. Recent studies show that metformin not only improves chronic inflammation by improving metabolic parameters but also has a direct anti-inflammatory effect. In light of these findings, it is essential to identify the inflammatory pathways targeted by metformin to develop a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of action of this drug. Commonly accepted mechanisms of metformin action include AMPK activation and inhibition of mTOR pathways, which are evaluated in multiple diseases. Additionally, metformin's action on mitochondrial function and cel-lular homeostasis processes such as autophagy is of particular interest because of the importance of these mechanisms in main-taining cellular health. Both dysregulated mitochondria and failure of the autophagy pathways, the latter of which impair clearance of dysfunctional, damaged, or excess organelles, affect cellular health drastically and can trigger the onset of meta-bolic and age-related diseases. Immune cells are the fundamental cell types that govern the health of an organism. Thus, dysre-gulation of autophagy or mitochondrial function in immune cells has a remarkable effect on susceptibility to infections, response to vaccination, tumor onset, and the development of inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. In this study, we summarize the latest research on metformin's regulation of immune cell mitochondrial function and autophagy as evidence that new clinical tri -als on metformin with primary outcomes related to the immune system should be considered to treat immune-mediated diseases over the near term.

Automated summary

Recent studies have shown that metformin not only improves metabolic parameters but also has direct anti-inflammatory effects, mainly through mechanisms such as AMPK activation and mTOR inhibition. Its impact on mitochondrial function and autophagy is crucial for maintaining cellular health and has implications for immune-mediated diseases.