Is Fenbendazole Safe For Humans With Cancer
Fenbendazole (methyl N-(6-phenylsulfanyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl) carbamate) is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic agent against various gastrointestinal parasites including pinworms, giardia, roundworms, hookworms, Taenia solium, and pulmonary paragonimiasis. It is also used to treat parasitic infections in animals. It is known to bind to tubulin microtubule polymers and inhibit their polymerization. Microtubules are part of the cell’s cytoskeleton that provides structure and shape to cells. Drugs that interfere with microtubule function block important cellular processes, such as cell division and mitosis. Mitosis is the process by which chromosomes line up at metaphase and then divide equally during anaphase. This is accomplished by a structure called the mitotic spindle, which is made of microtubules.
Several studies have shown that the antiparasitic benzimidazole drugs can kill cancer cells in petri dishes and mice, but there is no evidence that fenbendazole can cure humans of cancer. The nonprofit organization Cancer Research UK told Full Fact that “Fenbendazole hasn’t gone through clinical trials to find out if it’s safe and effective for people with cancer.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration told PolitiFact that there’s no evidence that fenbendazole prevents or cures cancer.
In a Facebook post, Tippens claimed that he took fenbendazole in conjunction with other treatments and that it caused his cancer to go into remission. He didn’t provide any scientific or medical support for his claim, but he did link to a video of himself explaining his approach.
The benzimidazole drugs have been reported to enhance the effectiveness of radiation and chemotherapy in animal models. However, in the case of colorectal cancer (CRC), fenbendazole hasn’t been tested directly in human cancer patients.
Our results indicate that fenbendazole enhances the effectiveness of 5-fluorouracil in p53-deficient CRC cells. It also induced autophagy via Beclin-1 in 5-fluorouracil-resistant SNU-C5 cells and triggered ferroptosis through decreased expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Moreover, fenbendazole also increased the apoptotic effect of paclitaxel in chemoresistant SNU-C5 cells.
We believe that fenbendazole might be an effective chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of p53-deficient CRCs with resistance to 5-fluorouracil. However, the results of further research are needed to validate these findings in patients with CRC. Further, we would like to test the antitumor effects of fenbendazole in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents.fenbendazole for humans cancer