Fenben is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug used in several animal species to treat parasitic worm infections. It is also reported to have cytotoxic and cytostatic properties against cancer cells.
The research team investigated the impact of fenben on tumor growth in mice. They randomized tumor-bearing mice to receive three i.p. injections of fenbendazole, 10 Gy of irradiation, or both.
Anti-Tumor Effects
Fenbendazole, or fenben, is an anti-worm medication often used to treat parasites and worms in animals. However, recent research suggests that this drug, along with a few others in its class, may be effective against cancer. This is because the drugs may reactivate the p53 gene inside the genome. The p53 gene functions as a tumor suppressor, keeping cancer cells from proliferating.
Researchers studied human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and found that fenbendazole caused partial alteration of microtubules within the cells. This disrupted the cell cycle and led to apoptosis, which killed the cells.
Another way the fenben works is by stopping cancer cells from processing sugar. These cells metabolize sugar to fuel the growth of cancerous tissue, so by blocking this process, the drugs can cause cancer cells to die. Using an apoptosis assay, the scientists observed that fenbendazole induced the death of NSCLC cells by activating the p53 gene. Further, they found that fenbendazole interfered with glucose uptake by the NSCLC cells, leading to glycolysis inhibition.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug that’s used to treat infections caused by parasitic worms in animals like horses. It’s also been shown to slow the growth of cancer cells in a lab dish. According to a study published in Scientific Reports, it does so by disrupting microtubules and causing apoptosis through multiple pathways.
In addition, fenbendazole blocks glucose uptake and inhibits expression of hexokinase II. This is important because cancer cells use glucose for energy. The researchers found that fenbendazole induced selective cell death in cancer cells that had become resistant to conventional chemotherapy drugs, such as doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide.
Despite these findings, the claim that fenbendazole cures cancer hasn’t been confirmed in humans. Health Feedback has previously investigated Tippens’ claim and determined that it was unsubstantiated. The nonprofit organization Cancer Research UK has also warned against the use of fenbendazole to treat cancer. Cancer patients should always follow the advice of their medical professionals and seek out legitimate treatment options.
Anti-Cancer Effects
Although no peer-reviewed study to date has shown that anthelmintics, the class of medications used to treat parasites in animals, can cure cancer in people, some researchers are pursuing this idea. A 2021 press release by Johns Hopkins Medicine reported that benzimidazole carbamates, a group of antiparasitic medications that includes fenbendazole, could slow tumor growth in mice.
Female athymic nude mice were xenografted with A549 melanoma cells and treated three times daily with either fenbendazole alone or with the combination of fenbendazole plus 10 Gy of irradiation. Tumor volume and weight were measured, and hemoglobin content was spectrophotometrically assessed as a measure of tumor vascularity.
Treatment with fenbendazole alone significantly reduced tumor size, whereas in the presence of radiation it had no significant effect. This effect was attributed to the drug’s interference with glucose uptake. Because malignant cell lines have a higher consumption of glucose than normal cells, this disparity can lead to preferential killing of cancer by fenbendazole.
Side Effects
Fenbendazole is used to treat parasites and worms in animals (brand names include Pancur and Safe-Guard). It also is being claimed to work against cancer. It does this by destroying the microtubules that support cancer cells, and it boosts a gene called p53. It also interferes with cancer cells’ ability to process sugar.
A study published in 2021 found that fenbendazole reduces cancer cell proliferation by targeting multiple cellular pathways. It acts as a moderate microtubule destabilizer, stabilizes p53 and disrupts glucose metabolism, resulting in preferential elimination of tumour cells both in vitro and in vivo.
Researchers fed fenbendazole to female athymic nude mice xenografted with A549 human lung cancer cells, and monitored the effects of fenbendazole on tumour growth over 12 days. They found a reduction in tumour size and weight, as well as decreased vascularity of the tumors. The findings suggest that fenbendazole has therapeutic potential in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.fenben for cancer
