Evaluating response to metformin/cisplatin combination in cancer cells via metabolic measurement and clonogenic survival.

Metformin is a commonly utilized antidiabetic agent, which has been associated with improved clinical outcomes in cancer patients. The precise mechanism of action remains unclear, but preclinical evidence suggests that metformin can sensitize tumor cells to the effects to conventional chemotherapeutic agents and ionizing radiation (IR). In this chapter we describe two assays to investigate the effects of combination of metformin and a chemotherapeutic agent (in this case cisplatin) in head and neck cancer squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines.