Fenbendazole for humans has gained popularity since Joe Tippens claimed that the veterinarian drug cured his cancer. He started taking the otc dog dewormer along with other supplements, including curcumin and vitamin E.
Studies have shown that fenbendazole inhibits cancer cell growth in petri dishes and mice. However, there isn’t enough evidence from randomized clinical trials to support the claim that it cures cancer.
Effectiveness
The dog deworming drug fenbendazole has been credited with curing cancer in some patients, but this is unproven. The videos circulating on TikTok and Facebook feature a Canadian veterinarian who promotes the drug as a treatment for human cancer. The video has been debunked by Sheila Singh, director of McMaster’s Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research.
In animal studies, fenbendazole has been shown to prevent the growth of microtubules in cancer cells, a protein that provides structure to all cells. It also inhibits the synthesis of a cellular energy-boosting protein called ATP. This has led some researchers to believe that the drug can kill cancer cells by blocking a key step in the cell cycle.
However, researchers have found no evidence that fenbendazole is effective in human trials or in clinical practice. The anthelmintic has a wide safety margin and has been used for many years in animals at dosages several times higher than its approved human dose. It also has minimal toxicity in human cells.
To test the effect of fenbendazole on the growth and radiation response of tumors, scientists compared tumor volume in BALB/cRw mice that received three daily i.p. injections of fenbendazole with mice that received 10 Gy of radiation. The results showed that fenbendazole did not alter the growth of unirradiated tumors or affect their radiosensitivity.
Side effects
Fenbendazole is a drug that is commonly used as an antiparasitic for various animal species. The anthelmintic works by preventing parasitic worms from absorbing glucose. In addition to its use as a parasite treatment, fenbendazole has also shown promising results in lab experiments as an anti-cancer medication. It has been found to inhibit cancer cell growth and promote apoptosis. However, it is important to note that fenbendazole has not been tested in humans.
The fenbendazole craze began after a YouTube post about Joe Tippens, an American who claimed that his fenbendazole treatment cured his Stage 4 small-cell lung cancer. Since then, several people have been posting videos of themselves taking fenbendazole in an attempt to cure their own cancer. But, a specialist cancer information nurse told Full Fact that there is no evidence that this medication can cure cancer.
According to the research, fenbendazole prevents cancer cells from absorbing sugar, thereby starving them of energy. It has also been shown to block the activation of certain proteins in the cells. This effect is similar to that of cytotoxic anticancer agents, which kill cancer cells by targeting protein machinery.
Researchers believe that fenbendazole has the potential to become a safe and effective treatment for human cancers. It has already been used in veterinary medicine and is generally well-tolerated by patients. Its ability to act against multiple targets may help it overcome drug resistance, which is a common problem in cancer therapy.
Safety
The anthelmintic drug fenbendazole is safe and has been used for decades in humans. It is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic that is effective against many parasitic worms, including ascarids and hookworms, and one species of tapeworm (Taenia pisiformis). The drug has also been found to be effective in treating hepatitis C, HIV, and AIDS. Despite these positive findings, there are concerns about the safety of fenbendazole.
A veterinarian in British Columbia is circulating videos on TikTok and Facebook in which he claims that the dog deworming drug fenbendazole cures cancer. However, Sheila Singh, director of McMaster’s Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, says this claim is false. She explains that there are other ways to cure cancer, such as immuno-cancer treatments. Jones’s videos cite the case of Joe Tippens, who claimed that he was cured of his advanced lung cancer by taking fenbendazole.
In a study, scientists found that fenbendazole significantly decreased glucose uptake by tumor cells in culture. The drugs also inhibited the cell’s ability to release a protein that is needed for the cell to escape from phagocytosis. In vivo tests in mice showed that fenbendazole reduced the number of tumors and reduced the size of existing ones.
The repurposing of antiparasitic medications as anti-cancer medicines is relatively new. A 2021 press release by Johns Hopkins Medicine cited an investigation that found mebendazole, another antiparasitic drug from the benzimidazole carbamate group, could slow the progression of pancreatic cancer in lab tests.
Cost
In humans, fenbendazole is a popular treatment for parasitic worms. It is also effective against various helminth intestinal parasites in dogs and cats. It has even been used to treat nematodes and flukes, and it has shown promising results in the treatment of Giardia. It is a potent antifungal agent that can be used in combination with other agents to treat a variety of parasitic diseases.
The cost of fenbendazole is relatively low, especially when compared to the cost of standard antifungal drugs. The price of fenbendazole is particularly attractive for use in developing countries, where the treatment of cryptococcal infection is often expensive and difficult to access.
Benzimidazole carbamates, such as fenbendazole, inhibit mammalian tubulin, resulting in inhibition of cell division and growth. These properties make fenbendazole an ideal candidate for the development of an inexpensive anticryptococcal drug.
In addition to lowering the cost of therapy, fenbendazole is also less toxic to mammalian cells than amphotericin B. Furthermore, fenbendazole may have the potential to be used as an alternative anticryptococcal treatment for humans in conjunction with other anthelmintics.