A Canadian veterinarian has made an anecdotal claim that fenbendazole, a drug used to treat parasites in animals, cures cancer in humans. But despite anthelmintic drugs showing anti-cancer effects in cell cultures and mice, no peer-reviewed study has found evidence that they cure cancer in people.
In a recent study, scientists found that fenbendazole could reduce tumors in mice by targeting multiple pathways. These results suggest that fenbendazole may be useful for patients with cancer that is resistant to conventional treatment.
Effects on glucose uptake
A broad-spectrum benzimidazole carbamate used in the treatment of parasitic worms in animals and humans, fenbendazole also has anticancer properties. It inhibits microtubule polymerization and interferes with glucose uptake, resulting in reduced glycogen stores and decreased ATP formation. It also causes p53 stabilization and apoptosis, as well as oxidative stress. The combination of these effects results in preferential elimination of cancer cells.
The anti-cancer effects of fenbendazole were examined in both 5-fluorouracil-sensitive and 5-fluorouracil-resistant CRC cells. The drug induced G2/M phase arrest and enhanced apoptosis in sensitive cells, but did not induce autophagy or ferroptosis in resistant cells. The underlying mechanisms of the drug’s action include inhibition of microtubule polymerization, p53 stabilization, and interference with glucose uptake.
The drug was tested in mice by administering it orally twice daily for 12 days. At the end of this period, the tumors were measured and weighed. The fenbendazole-treated mice showed a reduction in tumor size and weight.
Efficacy
Researchers have identified a broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug, fenbendazole (FZ), that also has anticancer activity. The drug, which is used in veterinary medicine to treat parasitic worms in animals like horses, targets cancer cells by inhibiting microtubular polymer formation and blocking glucose uptake. It also promotes apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human CRC cells.
In a colony formation assay, high doses of fenbendazole significantly reduced the clonogenicity of EMT6 cells. This effect was dose-dependent, and it was observed after 2 and 24 h of treatment. In addition, fenbendazole was cytostatic at these concentrations.
The researchers next tested the efficacy of a combination of fenbendazole and docetaxel. The experiments showed that fenbendazole accelerated docetaxel cytotoxicity by reducing the amount of glucose taken up by the tumor cells. The results of these experiments showed that the fenbendazole-docetaxel combination significantly inhibited cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. The combination also augmented the effectiveness of irradiation in preventing local tumor growth.
Side effects
Fenbendazole (methyl N-(6-phenylsulfanyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl) carbamate) is a broad-spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintic used in many animal species. It exerts its anthelmintic action by binding to b-tubulin microtubule subunits and inhibiting their polymerization. Recently, fenbendazole has been shown to have antitumor activity in various cancer cell types.
Our results indicate that fenbendazole inhibits the growth of paclitaxel-resistant human CRC cells through multiple pathways. Specifically, it inhibits cellular proliferation by inhibiting p21-mediated cell-cycle arrest and by causing apoptosis in both p53-sensitive and resistant CRC cells.
Febendazole also causes tumor regression in vivo. When given as three daily injections, fenbendazole reduced the volume of EMT6 tumors in BALB/c mice. However, the drug did not prevent local invasion or lymph node metastases in unirradiated mice or increase radiation sensitivity in irradiated tumors. These findings are consistent with previous studies suggesting that fenbendazole inhibits tumor growth by acting as a moderate microtubule destabilizing agent. It may also interfere with glucose metabolism, a major source of energy for cancer cells.
Precautions
Fenbendazole acts by interfering with the formation of microtubules, a component of the protein scaffold in cells. Textbook depictions of cells often portray them as amorphous bags of liquid, but it is the cytoskeleton that gives cells their shape and structure. Microtubules, made of a protein called tubulin, are a key component of the cytoskeleton.
In a recent study, researchers found that fenbendazole (methyl N-(6-phenylsulfanyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl) carbamate) inhibited the growth of cancer cells in vitro. These findings suggest that the drug could be an effective treatment for cancer in humans.
Although many people have claimed that fenbendazole cures cancer in their own TikTok or Facebook posts, these claims aren’t backed by sufficient evidence. Many of these posts cite an anecdotal story about Joe Tippens, a cancer patient who claimed to have gone into remission after taking fenbendazole. However, it is important to note that Tippens also received conventional cancer treatments in a clinical trial. These may have played a significant role in his remission.fenbendazole for humans cancer