fenben for humans (commonly known as Panacur) is a popular dog dewormer medicine. It recently became popular as a cancer treatment after Joe Tippens, an anecdotal case, claimed that it cured his late-stage small-cell lung cancer.

Researchers found that fenbendazole targets cancer cells in multiple ways. It disrupts microtubules, reactivates the p53 gene, and interferes with glucose uptake. These effects can lead to preferential elimination of cancer cells.

It is a cytostatic drug

Several antiparasitic medications, such as fenbendazole (commonly known as Panacur), have been suggested as potential cancer treatments. In a recent study, researchers found that fenbendazole could kill cancer cells in petri dishes and mouse models. The drug has also been shown to prevent tumor growth when combined with supplemental vitamins.

The fenbendazole works by interfering with the formation of microtubules, which are the protein scaffolding that gives a cell its shape and structure. These tubulin proteins are a vital part of the cytoskeleton, which allows a cell to change its shape quickly and transport various organelles or cargo. Fenbendazole interferes with the assembly of these proteins, causing the cytoskeleton to destabilize and disassemble. This causes the cell to lose its shape and halts the transport of cellular materials.

In the mouse model, fenbendazole reduced the size of EMT6 cancer tumors and prevented the regrowth of existing tumors. It also caused apoptosis in the tumor cells. These effects were mediated by moderate microtubule disruption, p53 stabilization and interference with glucose metabolism.

However, there is no evidence that fenbendazole can cure cancer in humans. In addition, anecdotal reports of cancer patients claiming that fenbendazole treatment helped them remission are misleading. These reports often fail to mention that the patients were undergoing other conventional cancer treatments, such as radiation, surgery, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy, at the same time.

It is a tubulin blocker

Fenbendazole is a type of antiparasitic drug that also has antineoplastic properties. It works by binding to microtubules and disrupting their formation. It also stabilizes p53, which is an important tumour suppressor gene. In addition, it interferes with glucose metabolism and promotes cancer cell death. These findings suggest that fenbendazole is a promising candidate for treating cancer.

However, researchers have not yet proven that fenbendazole can cure cancer. The nonprofit organization Cancer Research UK told Full Fact that it has not been shown to work in people, and fenbendazole isn’t approved for cancer treatment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

A recent study found that fenbendazole could reduce tumor growth in mice by targeting the cytoskeleton, which is the structure that holds cells together. It also prevented the spread of tumours and inhibited the development of new blood vessels that can carry nutrients to the tumor. The results were similar to those of paclitaxel, another common cancer drug that targets a similar mechanism.

The problem with this claim is that it ignores the fact that fenbendazole will also kill the cells lining the small intestine. These are replaced every 3-4 days in small pits at the bottom of the bowel called Lieberkuhn’s crypts. These contain stem cells that continuously divide in a 24h-rhythm pushing up new enterocytes to replace the shed ones. Ingested fenbendazole will thus seriously attack this second stem cell population and lead to hidden immunotoxic effects.

It is an immunotoxic drug

Fenbendazole is a drug that interferes with microtubules and prevents cells from dividing. This is why it is effective in killing parasites and some cancers. It is also effective in treating some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a member of the benzimidazole family and is used as a dog dewormer, as well as in humans under the brand name Pancur and Safe-Guard. It can kill parasites like whipworms, lungworms, and Giardiasis, as well as some tapeworms. It can also help treat eosinophilic bowel disease.

The fenbendazole craze started when Joe Tippens, an Oklahoma man, claimed that the medicine cured him of Stage 4 small-cell lung cancer. Although he was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, he said that taking fenbendazole and a few other vitamins helped him beat the disease. He claims that the medicine is inexpensive and easy to take, and he has since been cancer-free for five years.

To investigate the anti-tumor effects of fenbendazole, researchers investigated its effect on leukaemia cells. They found that it caused the differentiation of HL60 cells into granulocytes within three days. They also found that fenbendazole inhibits cell cycle progression, induces apoptosis and suppresses the growth of cancerous cells. Additionally, the fenbendazole-treated cells were less likely to bind ss-tubulin and p53. The findings suggest that fenbendazole acts through moderate microtubule disruption, p53 stabilization and interference with glucose metabolism, which lead to preferential elimination of cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo.

It is a parasiticide

Fenbendazole (FZ) is an effective anthelmintic and fungicide that is used to treat parasitic worms in animals like horses. It is a member of the benzimidazole carbamate (BZ) family, which has been safely used as anthelmintics for nearly six decades. Its effectiveness against various parasitic worm species, including Ascaris, hookworms, whipworms and one species of tapeworm, Taenia pisiformis, is well documented in animal studies.

A new compound fenbendazole transdermal solution for house pet uses is developed, which can enhance absorption of the drug from skins, avoid first pass effect in liver and gastrointestinal tract, produce constant controlled blood drug levels, reduce toxic and side effects. The preparation method includes the steps of dissolving, mixing, filtering and loading.

Using a dose of 1.5 g a day, fenbendazole is effective in reducing egg counts and eliminating the worms in the intestine and stomach of chickens. However, the effectiveness of fenbendazole in humans has not been tested. An anecdotal cancer patient’s protocol involves taking fenbendazole capsules twice a day with water, after breakfast and dinner. The medication is also known as Panacur and Safe-Guard.

Some people have claimed that fenbendazole has been effective in curing cancer, but the Korean government warns against taking it because it has not been tested on human beings. Other anticancer drugs are already available and have been proven effective in treating cancer.