Therapeutic potential of the metabolic modulator phenformin in targeting the stem cell compartment in melanoma.

ABSTRACT: Melanoma is the most dangerous and treatment-resistant skin cancer. Tumor resistance and recurrence are due to the persistence in the patient of aggressive cells with stem cell features, the cancer stem cells (CSC). Recent evidences have shown that CSC display a distinct metabolic profile as compared to tumor bulk population: a promising anti-tumor strategy is therefore to target specific metabolic pathways driving CSC behavior. Biguanides (metformin and phenformin) are anti-diabetic drugs able to perturb cellular metabolism and displaying anti-cancer activity. However, their ability to target the CSC compartment in melanoma is not known. Here we show that phenformin, but not metformin, strongly reduces melanoma cell viability, growth and invasion in both 2D and 3D (spheroids) models. Whil

SUBMITTER: Petrachi T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5351679 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature