Brain HealthMetformin Boosts Myelin Production in Human Brain Cells via Mitochondrial Boost
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh tested whether metformin — a common diabetes drug already known to rejuvenate rat brain cells — could similarly enhance human oligodendrocyte function. Using three progressively complex models (lab-grown cell monolayers, brain organoids, and human-mouse chimera brains), they found metformin increased myelin protein production across all systems. In the most human-relevant chimera model, metformin enlarged mitochondria in both human glial cells and mouse axons and upregulated metabolic gene expression. Analysis of post-mortem MS patient brain tissue from individuals who had taken metformin showed similar metabolic transcript patterns. The findings suggest metformin's pro-myelin effect works through broad mitochondrial and metabolic changes, not just one cell type, supporting its ongoing clinical trials for MS neuroprotection.
