Metformin

Where the papers sit

59 papers from the last 6 months study metformin directly · updated from PubMed 10 Oct 2026

• Type 2 Diabetes Treatment

  Type 2 diabetes care is moving toward metformin-based combinations, especially with empagliflozin, anagliptin and HTD1801. Studies emphasize glycated haemoglobin, glucose control, renal parameters, readmission and real-world treatment patterns rather than metformin alone. Additional work links therapy with depression, hearing thresholds, bone microarchitecture and vitamin B12 deficiency. Combination effectiveness appears promising, while long-term safety and outcomes across comorbid populations remain open.

  12 papers · 20.3%

• Redox Inflammation and Drug Delivery

  Metformin is increasingly being packaged or locally delivered to reprogram oxidative stress, inflammation and tissue repair. Hydrogels, microneedles and nanoparticles target diabetic wounds, endometriosis and cancer, sometimes combining metformin with doxorubicin. Recurring mechanisms include ROS suppression, SIRT3 and NAD+ signaling, mitophagy, NLRP3 regulation and PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibition. The field is moving toward spatially controlled combination therapy, but most evidence remains preclinical.

  11 papers · 18.6%

• Metabolic Disease and Ferroptosis

  Metabolic disease studies are moving from glucose control toward cellular protection through ferroptosis and lipid-metabolism pathways. Metformin protects podocytes through the MAPK14-SLC7A11-GPX4 axis and limits trophoblast ferroptosis through ATF2 and PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling. Other work examines hepatic lipid accumulation, post-bariatric glucose control and intestinal drug delivery. Pharmacokinetics, encephalopathy and aging-trial protocols keep clinical safety and durability unresolved.

  10 papers · 16.9%

• Clinical Repurposing and Safety

  Metformin is being evaluated beyond diabetes through cancer prevention, treatment sensitization, metabolic-risk management and seizure outcomes. HCC risk after HCV cure, PARP1-mediated death, photodynamic therapy and pembrolizumab combinations provide distinct anticancer routes. Real-world analyses also address alpelisib-induced hyperglycemia, prediabetes multimorbidity and epilepsy prevention. Rifampicin interactions and formulation bioequivalence keep pharmacokinetics and implementation central to the clinical agenda.

  10 papers · 16.9%

• Others — Cross-Disease Therapeutic Repurposing

  Neuroregeneration, pulmonary fibrosis, cancer signaling, pain, aneurysm risk and autism-related behavior occupy separate lines of inquiry. Hydrogels and nanoconjugates appear in some tissue-repair studies, while diosgenin and metformin analogues support distinct pharmacological questions. Observational, computational and animal evidence are intermixed. No shared mechanism or therapeutic direction unifies the cluster.

  8 papers · 13.6%

• Others — combination therapy

  PCOS, aging-related bone and muscle changes, obesity-associated neuroprotection, glioblastoma, heart failure, IBD and HIV remission appear as separate therapeutic questions. Some studies test metformin combinations with taurine, nicotinamide riboside or Foeniculum vulgare, while others use multi-omics or ligand-based discovery. Proposed mechanisms range from GSK-3β and autophagy to phosphatidylcholine metabolism and chloride-channel inhibition. The cluster has no consistent disease focus or shared mechanistic direction.

  8 papers · 13.6%