Scientists at Stanford are using lessons learned from battling viruses to thwart cancer. Their efforts have led to a new class of drugs that seem to shrink tumors in mice.
In vitro studies showed that fenbendazole was nontoxic to aerobic EMT6 cells and did not affect the yield-corrected surviving fractions (Table 1). Similar results were observed in mice with three injections of fenbendazole administered in sterile, pyrogen-free physiologic saline i.p.AntiparasiticFenbendazole is an animal anthelmintic that has been in use for years to treat parasitic worms, including pinworms, giardia, roundworms, hookworms, and Taenia solium. It also has broad antibacterial and antifungal properties.Some studies have shown that fenbendazole slows cancer growth in lab experiments. However, there is no evidence that it can cure cancer. In fact, Health Feedback has previously debunked claims that cancer is caused by parasites.To test the effect of fenbendazole on human cancer cells, researchers used two different types of cancer cell lines. They treated the cells with varying concentrations of fenbendazole and then analysed them using various techniques.The researchers found that fenbendazole affected the growth of cancer cells by disrupting their structure and preventing their ability to transport materials. The drug works by interfering with the formation of microtubules, which are proteins that form part of a protein scaffolding called the cytoskeleton. These proteins give shape and structure to cells.AntifungalResearchers at the National Centre for Human Genome Studies and Research (NCHGSR), Punjab University, have found that fenbendazole, a broad-spectrum antihelmintic drug used to treat parasitic worms in animals, has potential as an anticancer agent. In their study, they tested two commercial formulations of the drug and their active ingredient against seven different cancer cells.The results showed that fenbendazole has moderate microtubule destabilizing properties and causes cell death via multiple pathways. It also interferes with glucose metabolism, leading to preferential elimination of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.The cytotoxic effects of fenbendazole are dose-dependent. At high concentrations and long incubations, fenbendazole reduces the number of cancer cells and their ability to grow. It also inhibits p53-dependent apoptosis and induces ferroptosis in 5-fluorouracil resistant colorectal cancer cells. In addition, fenbendazole is able to increase autophagy via Beclin-1 and increase LC3-I in these cells. It is also effective in apoptosis induction in wild-type and p53-deficient SNU-C5 cells.AntimicrobialFenbendazole is an antihelmintic drug with mechanisms of action that overlap with those of some anticancer drugs. It also has cytotoxic effects on different types of human cancer cells. However, it has several formulation issues that hinder its distribution. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of formulated fenbendazole demonstrates that it has cytotoxic properties and may be useful as an anticancer drug.A video circulating on TikTok and Facebook shows a Canadian veterinarian claiming the dog deworming drug fenbendazole cures advanced lung cancer in humans. The drug is only approved in Canada for veterinary use and Health Canada says it has not been proven to treat human diseases.To assess the quality of fenbendazole products, a quick and simple HPLC method was developed and validated. Three different lots of each commercial brand of fenbendazole were analysed using this method. The results showed that the quantity of fenbendazole in all samples was consistent with the quantities claimed on the product labels.AnticancerResearchers have found that fenbendazole and related drugs can interfere with the formation of microtubules, a component of a protein scaffolding in cells. These structures establish the shape and structure of a cell, and they also carry cargo within the cell. These functions are essential for the growth of cancer cells. The drug works by interfering with the formation of the microtubules, a process called depolymerization.Scientists tested the effect of fenbendazole on human cancer cells in petri dishes and mice. The results showed that the drug exhibited cytotoxic effects against cancer cells and reduced glucose uptake in those cells.The results suggest that fenbendazole may have an anticancer effect, and this is not surprising given its mechanism of action. The drug may have several cellular targets, which could explain its efficacy in treating cancer. Single-target drugs, on the other hand, often show limited efficacy and can lead to resistance in patients. However, more studies are needed to prove the clinical effectiveness of fenbendazole in humans.fenbendazole for cancer
