Metformin: Experimental and Clinical Evidence for a Potential Role in Emphysema Treatment.

Cigarette smoke (CS) inhalation triggers oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to accelerated lung aging, apoptosis, and emphysema, as well as systemic pathologies. Metformin is beneficial for protecting against aging-related diseases. We sought to investigate whether metformin may ameliorate CS-induced pathologies of emphysematous chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).