UK Researchers Believe Type 2 Diabetes Drug May Stop Cancer

Researchers studied 6,000 people with diabetes and found those who took the Type 2 diabetes drug, metformin, cut their risk of all tumor types by more than 25%. Professor Dario Alessi and colleagues looked at the rates of cancers recorded among about 6,000 people with diabetes, half of whom were taking metformin and half of whom were not. They found the metformin group had far fewer cancers than the other group - in the order of 20-40%. They believe that the drug protects against cancer by switching on an enzyme in the body called AMPK. The enzyme tricks cancer cells into thinking that they have insufficient sources of energy to grow. Professor Andrew Morris said: "Metformin has been used to treat people with Type 2 diabetes in the United Kingdom since 1957. "Despite being the most widely used drug for people with the condition, it is only recently that we have learnt how it works. The possibility that it may have beneficial effects beyond diabetes control is very exciting indeed." A larger study to verify the University of Dundee team's findings is scheduled to will begin soon.