Engin KORKMAZ, Tuba KESKİN, Suat TEKİN
Archives of Current Medical Research - 2026;7(1):1-8
Background: Cancer is a major health concern with high morbidity and mortality rates, necessitating new treatment strategies. Despite the effectiveness of chemotherapy, drug resistance and side effects pose significant challenges. In recent years, the drug repurposing approach has emerged as a promising strategy for new therapeutic options. SGLT2 inhibitors, originally developed for diabetes treatment, have gained attention for their potential anticancer effects. In this study, the cytotoxic effects of empagliflozin on Caco-2 (colorectal adenocarcinoma), A2780 (ovarian carcinoma), and LNCaP (prostate adenocarcinoma) cell lines were investigated. Methods: In this study, the A2780, LNCaP , and Caco-2 cell lines were utilized. Each cell line was exposed to empagliflozin at varying concentrations of 1, 5, 25, 50, and 100 muM for a duration of 48 hours. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was employed to evaluate changes in cell viability following treatment. From the cytotoxicity data, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and logIC50 values of empagliflozin were determined to assess its inhibitory effects on cell viability. Results: Empagliflozin significantly reduced cell viability in Caco-2, A2780, and LNCaP cell lines. The most pronounced cytotoxic effect was observed in LNCaP cells, followed by Caco-2 and A2780 cell lines, respectively. Conclusion: These findings suggest that Empagliflozin exhibits cytotoxic effects in certain cancer cell lines and may have potential as an anticancer agent.
