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Diabetes: the gut, a new target of metformin
20 mai 2026
By Elodie Vaz | Published on May 20,
2026 | 4 min read
For decades, metformin has been regarded as a drug that acts primarily on the liver to reduce glucose production. But a new study conducted by Northwestern University and published on May 8 in Nature Metabolism challenges this paradigm: the true site of its action may actually be the intestine. In mice, researchers show that the drug works by directly modifying the energy metabolism of intestinal cells, effectively turning the intestine into a “glucose sponge.”
For decades, metformin has been regarded as a drug that acts primarily on the liver to reduce glucose production. But a new study conducted by Northwestern University and published on May 8 in Nature Metabolism challenges this paradigm: the true site of its action may actually be the intestine. In mice, researchers show that the drug works by directly modifying the energy metabolism of intestinal cells, effectively turning the intestine into a “glucose sponge.”
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Scientific reference
Sebo, Z.L., Chakrabarty, R.P., Grant, R.A. et al. Metformin inhibits mitochondrial complex I in intestinal epithelium to promote glycaemic control. Nat Metab (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-026-01530-y
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