Comparing adaptive prostate cancer cell metabolism following anti-androgen and biguanide treatment

Metabolic side effects that develop as a result of androgen deprivation therapy are associated with more rapid treatment failure. An increasing body of epidemiological and experimental evidence suggests that drugs used to treat insulin resistance, such as the biguanide metformin, may affect tumour cell growth and survival. We previously showed metformin reduces autophagy and increases apoptosis in androgen-deprived prostate cancer cells. These results led us to examine the role of more potent biguanides for utility in prostate cancer. Here we compare the efficacy of phenformin, buformin and metformin in this androgen-deprived setting.