Distinct perturbation of the translatome by the antidiabetic drug metformin
What this study shows
The authors compared genome-wide changes in mRNA translation caused by metformin with those caused by the mTOR inhibitors rapamycin and PP242 in cancer cells. Metformin changed gene expression at the level of translation to an extent comparable to the classic mTOR inhibitors. Its antiproliferative effect could be explained by selective suppression of translation of mRNAs encoding cell-cycle regulators, acting through the mTORC1 / 4E-BP pathway. The paper provided evidence that metformin's effect on cell growth in vitro goes through selective translational control rather than a general drop in protein synthesis. Boundary: Cultured cancer cells at drug concentrations used in vitro; does not show that metformin at clinical doses acts this way in patients. Drafted from the abstract only.
At a glance
| Evidence type | M Molecular — cells, biochemistry, structure Marked M because it is molecular or in-vitro work (model: Human cancer cell line (per MeSH); genome-wide polysome microarray translatome analysis comparing metformin, rapamycin and PP242) rather than a whole-organism health-outcome study. That is often exactly where causal biology gets established -- the code says which system the finding was shown in, and nothing about how good the work is. |
| Study type | 5 - Mechanistic / In Vitro |
| Model system | Human cancer cell line (per MeSH); genome-wide polysome microarray translatome analysis comparing metformin, rapamycin and PP242 |
| Journal | PNAS |
| Year | 2012 |
| Peer reviewed | Yes |
| Record last updated | 2026-10-01 |
| Source | DOI 10.1073/pnas.1201689109 · PMID 22611195 · Free full text (PMC3384216) |
Extracted findings
These fields were extracted from the paper with AI assistance and have not been checked against the source. Read them as a pointer into the paper, not as curated claims; where they disagree with the curated summary above, the curated summary stands.
| Intervention | Metformin; rapamycin; PP242 |
| Target | Genome-wide mRNA translation (translatome); cell-cycle regulator mRNAs; proliferation |
| Model | Human cancer cells |
| Effect | Metformin selectively suppresses translation of cell-cycle regulator mRNAs via mTORC1/4E-BP, reducing proliferation |
In the Atlas
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- Can people with type 2 diabetes live longer than those without? A comparison of mortality in people initiated with metformin or sulphonylurea monotherapy and matched, non-diabetic controls (2014)
- Metformin inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis in mice independently of the LKB1/AMPK pathway via a decrease in hepatic energy state (2010)
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