Fenbendazole (also known as febantel and Pancur) is a common medication used to treat parasites in dogs and cats. It is effective against roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and some tapeworms.
Fenbendazole has been shown to be a promising anticancer agent in cell cultures and animals. It can slow cancer growth by blocking the formation of microtubules and inhibiting the RAS-related signaling pathway.
Fenbendazole is a nitroheterocyclic cytotoxin and radiosensitizer
Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum benzimidazole that is used to treat parasitic infections in many animal species. It has also been reported to have antitumor effects in human cancer cells. It is thought that it works by inhibiting microtubule formation and binding to tubulin, the polymer that makes up the mitotic spindle that divides chromosomes during cell division (figure 1). Microtubules are important for cellular activity and structure, so drugs that interfere with their function can kill parasites and cancer cells. This mechanism of action is similar to that of cytotoxic anticancer drugs, such as vinca alkaloids and taxanes.
In a study using EMT6 mouse mammary tumor cells in cell culture and as solid tumors in mice, fenbendazole produced additive cytotoxicity when combined with radiation and docetaxel. In addition, fenbendazole enhanced the sensitivity of hypoxic cells to radiation and increased their cytotoxicity when combined with both chemotherapeutic agents (figure 3).
Another study showed that fenbendazole was effective in treating lung cancer cells with a KRAS mutation. This finding was consistent with previous studies that have shown that fenbendazole has antitumor activity in vivo and in vitro. However, there is no evidence that fenbendazole can cure human cancer. Its use as an antiparasitic agent and its low degree of toxicity mean that it can be safely used in humans.
It interferes with the formation of microtubules
Fenbendazole is an antiparasitic agent that interferes with the formation of microtubules, a component of the protein scaffold that provides structure and shape to cells. These structures are essential for cell division, which occurs during mitosis and must correctly distribute chromosomes to each of the new daughter cells. Researchers have found that fenbendazole and other benzimidazole carbamates inhibit the polymerization of tubulin, which is involved in forming microtubules. This mechanism of action is similar to that of cytotoxic anticancer agents, including vinca alkaloids.
This animation, based on scientific research by Harvard University and XVIVO Scientific Animation, demonstrates how microtubules are assembled and disassembled in the complex, dynamic environment of a cell. This process helps the cell establish its shape and movement, which is necessary for cellular transport of organelles and cargo. Textbook depictions of cells often portray various cellular components floating in amorphous bags of liquid, but the reality is much more complicated.
The benzimidazole carbamates are used as antiparasitics to treat several types of parasites, including pinworms, whipworms, roundworms, hookworms, and Taenia solium. They exert their actions by binding to the b-subunit of tubulin and disrupting its microtubule equilibrium. Compared to colchicine, a well-known benzimidazole carbamate, fenbendazole has greater affinity for the b-subunit and is inserted more deeply in the protein. The deeper it is inserted, the more it blocks the synthesis of microtubules.
It causes cancer cell death
Fenbendazole is a benzimidazole carbamate, a class of drugs used to treat parasitic worms. It is widely used in veterinary medicine to treat pinworms, giardia, whipworms, hookworms, and a single species of tapeworm (Taenia pisiformis). Several studies suggest that fenbendazole also kills cancer cells. However, these claims are not supported by scientific evidence. Health Feedback has found that most of the evidence supporting this claim is anecdotal and should be regarded as misleading.
Unlike other anticancer drugs, fenbendazole does not cause cell death by direct effects on microtubules. Rather, it interferes with the formation of these microtubules by inhibiting their polymerization. This is similar to how cytotoxic anticancer drugs work, such as vinca alkaloids and taxanes.
In vitro experiments with hepatocellular carcinoma cells show that fenbendazole reduces the growth of cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and causing cell cycle arrest. This is likely due to the fact that fenbendazole has polymerization inhibitory effects on tubulin, one of the components of microtubules.
Another study showed that fenbendazole increased the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy agents by stabilizing the cellular structures that deliver the drugs. This effect was particularly pronounced in cultures treated with severe hypoxia. This study was conducted to determine whether fenbendazole could enhance the effectiveness of conventional cancer treatments by improving cellular uptake of these drugs.
It is an antihelminthic agent
Benzimidazole anthelmintic drugs are effective in the treatment of gastrointestinal parasites. They have broad-spectrum action against numerous species, high therapeutic efficacy, and low toxicity in treated animals. They also have a high safety margin in food animals. These drugs are used in livestock worldwide. In addition to their antihelmintic properties, benzimidazoles are effective against liver parasites and other diseases in domestic animals.
A study in this article examined the pharmacokinetics and safety of fenbendazole, a benzimidazole anthelmintic drug that has broad-spectrum activity against parasitic worms. The study used a mouse model of Trichinella spiralis infection and found that fenbendazole does not cause liver damage or increase the number of lung metastases in the animals. The study also found that the drug does not affect a host’s immunity.
The benzimidazole drug fenbendazole has recently been repurposed as an anti-cancer agent. It can significantly reduce the viability of 5-fluorouracil-resistant colorectal cancer cells and induce cell death. Moreover, it can block cell cycle progression and prevent the formation of microtubules. In addition, it can inhibit cellular growth and promote cell death in tumors that resist conventional treatments.
A recent field trial compared the effectiveness of fenbendazole and levamisole against three main species of helminth parasites in domestic chickens in Iran. Fenbendazole was highly effective against the three major gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) of domestic chickens, A. galli, Heterakis gallinarum, and Capillaria trachea, while levamisole was only marginally effective against these GINs. fenben lab fenbendazol