Mohsen Akhavan Sepahi
1* 
, Sarvenaz Mehrabi
2 , Rohollah Valizadeh
3 , Steven James Kellner
4, Azin Mirzazadeh
5 , Semko Ebrahimi
6 1 Department of Pediatric Nephrology, School of Medicine and Pediatric Clinical Research of Development Center, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran
2 11Walmer Gardens, N6G4H4, London, Ontario, Canada
3 Department of Epidemiology, Student Research Committee, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical science, Tehran, Iran
4 Head International Research and Development, Mesencell Biotech International Ltd, 20-22 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU, United Kingdom
5 Joint Bioinformatics Graduate Program, University of Arkansas Little Rock and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
6 Department of Anesthesiology, Health North gGmbH Klinikverbund Bremen, Hospital left of the Weser (klinkum Links der Weser) (Senator-Weßling-Straße 1; 28277), Bremen, Germany
Abstract
Chemotherapy has been accepted as the most common choice for cancer treatment. However,
chemotherapy-induced toxicity and chemotherapy resistance are the two challenging barriers to
the treatment. Metformin is a safe, inexpensive, and the first line drug to treat type II diabetes.
It has also a significant anti-tumor effect with a selective cytotoxic efficacy on cancer stem cells.
It also has renoprotective efficacy. The current study contributes to incorporating metformin to
chemotherapeutic agents to develop treatment efficiency and reduce the chemotherapy-induced
side-effects (such as toxicity and resistance) and also to benefit the nephroprotective impact of this
drug.
Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education:
The current study contributes to incorporating metformin with frequently prescribed chemotherapeutic agents to develop treatment
efficiency and reduce the chemotherapy-induced side-effects (such as toxicity and resistance), preventing cell proliferation, tumor growth,
angiogenesis, metastasis, simulating apoptosis, targeting NF-κB pathway, nephroprotection and anti-oxidant activity.
Please cite this paper as: Akhavan Sepahi M, Mehrabi S, Valizadeh R, Kellner SJ, Mirzazadeh A, Ebrahimi S. Nephroprotection and
chemotherapy sensitivity impact of metformin during cisplatin therapy; an updated review. J Nephropathol. 2019;8(4):e45. DOI: 10.15171/
jnp.2019.45.