Metformin found to act directly on the brain
研究發現二甲雙胍可直接作用於大腦
更新於: 2026年7月27日 上午03:15
For over 60 years, doctors have treated type 2 diabetes by focusing on the liver and gut, assuming that is where metformin performs its magic.
六十多年來，醫生在治療第二型糖尿病時，一直專注於肝臟與腸道，認為二甲雙胍便是發揮其神奇效用的地方。
However, a scientific paradigm shift has revealed that the brain is a critical, highly sensitive control center for the drug.
然而，一項科學範式轉移顯示，大腦才是該藥物一個關鍵且高度敏感的控制中心。
Researchers recently discovered that metformin works by interacting with a protein called Rap1, located in a specific brain region known as the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH).
研究人員最近發現，二甲雙胍是透過與位於大腦腹內側下視丘（VMH）區域中一種稱為Rap1的蛋白質相互作用來發揮作用。
By switching off this protein and activating specific SF1 neurons, the drug effectively lowers blood sugar.
藉由關閉這種蛋白質並活化特定的SF1神經元，該藥物能有效降低血糖。
Remarkably, the brain responds to doses thousands of times lower than what the liver requires.
值得注意的是，大腦對該藥物的反應劑量，比肝臟所需的劑量低了數千倍。
This discovery suggests that metformin's influence is far more sophisticated than previously thought.
這項發現表明，二甲雙胍的影響遠比先前認為的更為精密。
Beyond blood sugar management, scientists are now investigating whether this brain-centered pathway could explain the drug’s potential neuroprotective properties and its ability to slow brain aging.
除了血糖管理外，科學家們目前正在研究這種以大腦為中心的途徑，是否能解釋該藥物的潛在神經保護特性及其減緩大腦衰老的能力。
By targeting these central mechanisms directly, future therapies could potentially achieve better results with lower systemic doses, marking a new era in the treatment of both metabolic and neurodegenerative conditions.
透過直接針對這些中樞機制，未來的療法或許能以更低的全身劑量達到更好的效果，標誌著代謝與神經退化性疾病治療進入了新紀元。
