Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug used in veterinary medicine. It has a high safety margin and most species tolerate it well. Moreover, it has been found to act through moderate microtubule disruption, p53 stabilization and interference with glucose metabolism to preferentially eliminate cancer cells.
A specialist cancer information nurse at Cancer Research UK told Full Fact that there is insufficient evidence to show that fenbendazole cures cancer. She also said that Tippens’ remission may have been due to other conventional treatments, such as immunotherapy.
It is a benzimidazole
The benzimidazole anthelmintic, fenbendazole (methyl N-(6-phenylsulfanyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl) carbamate), has long been used to treat parasites in animals. It acts by binding to b-tubulin microtubule subunits and disrupting their polymerization, which is the mechanism behind its antiparasitic activity. It has also been reported to have antitumor activities in various cancer cells in vitro and mouse models.
However, despite these findings, there is no evidence that fenbendazole can cure cancer in humans. In fact, it may make cancer cells more resistant to treatment and cause other side effects. This is why it’s important to talk to your doctor before taking fenbendazole.
In addition to killing cancer cells, fenbendazole can also trigger necroptosis in colorectal cancer cells. The drug is known to block the glucose uptake in cancer cells and promote necroptosis through a glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4)-dependent pathway. In this way, GPX4 can degrade cancer proteins and prevent cell proliferation.
While there are some anecdotal reports of a cancer patient who went into remission after taking fenbendazole, those reports shouldn’t be taken seriously. There are many other reasons that could explain his remission, including conventional cancer treatments that weren’t mentioned. It’s important to note that fenbendazole hasn’t been tested in human clinical trials and is not approved by the FDA for use as a cancer treatment.
It is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic
Fenbendazole works by interfering with the formation of microtubules, which are a protein scaffold that gives cells their shape and structure. It is important to remember that while textbook depictions of cells may look like amorphous bags of liquid, they are actually highly organized structures that establish their shape and movement through the cytoskeleton. It is this cytoskeleton that provides the basis for cell movement, as well as the transport of various organelles and cargo.
This medication is used to treat parasitic worms in animals and has been shown to induce apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and necroptosis in colorectal cancer cells. It is also known to reduce glucose uptake, which is necessary for the growth of tumors. It is a very safe drug and can be used in combination with other chemotherapy agents.
A video circulating on TikTok and Facebook shows a Canadian veterinarian claiming that fenbendazole, a dog deworming drug, cures advanced lung cancer. However, no peer-reviewed study has found evidence that this class of medications could cure cancer in humans. Health Canada lists fenbendazole as only for veterinary use and a cancer researcher told AFP that it would take a significant amount of time to translate test results from animals into an approved treatment for human patients.
Developing new drugs takes a lot of time and money, so researchers are looking for ways to speed up the process by repurposing existing veterinary medicines. The approach is based on the observation that many cancers share features with parasitic diseases, including a tendency to overgrow. It is this similarity that could explain why some anthelmintics show promise as potential cancer treatments.
It is a microtubule-targeting agent
In a previous study, researchers found that fenbendazole inhibited the growth of EMT6 tumors in mice. The drug was given in the diet or via three daily i.p. injections. The tumors were then measured for volume and compared to untreated mice. The results showed that fenbendazole significantly reduced the number of spontaneous lung metastases in mice that were not irradiated. However, it did not alter the number of metastases seen on necropsy in mice that had undergone local tumor irradiation.
Fenbendazole (methyl N-(6-phenylsulfanyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl) carbamate) is a benzimidazole compound with broad antiparasitic activity. It acts by binding to the b-tubulin microtubule subunits and disrupting their polymerization. This is similar to the mechanism of action of cytotoxic anticancer agents, including vinca alkaloids and taxanes.
The researchers also studied the effect of fenbendazole on colorectal cancer cells. They observed that the drug induced apoptosis in CRC cells. However, fenbendazole did not stimulate glucose uptake in cancer cells, which is required for their energy needs.
The research suggests that fenbendazole could be useful as an adjunct therapy for cancer. It could be used in combination with other drugs, such as tamoxifen and niraparib. In addition, fenbendazole may have the potential to treat other types of cancers that are resistant to tamoxifen and niraparib. This would include pancreatic cancer, which is often refractory to conventional chemotherapy.
It is a drug of last resort
The benzimidazole drug fenbendazole, usually used to treat parasites in dogs, has also been shown to have some anti-cancer activity. It appears to work by stopping the growth of microtubules, which essentially provide structure to cancer cells. In cancer patients, this may cause the cell to die through various mechanisms, including oxidative stress and apoptosis. However, the results are mixed and there is no proof that fenbendazole can cure cancer in humans.
In a recent study, researchers tested the effect of fenbendazole on two colorectal cancer cells: SNU-C5 and SNU-C5/5-FUR. These cells were resistant to conventional treatments, and researchers found that fenbendazole caused them to die through several mechanisms, including G2/M arrest and apoptosis. Fenbendazole also inhibited glucose uptake in these cells, which was a crucial factor in their ability to thrive.
Some people claim that fenbendazole can kill cancer, but it’s important to remember that these claims are not based on any scientific evidence. The only way to know if a treatment is effective in humans is to test it on human patients. There’s no evidence that fenbendazole is safe or effective for treating cancer in people, and it hasn’t gone through any clinical trials. Specialist cancer information nurses at Cancer Research UK have warned that fenbendazole can cause serious side effects, and it isn’t a cure for fenbendazole for cancer