The benzimidazole class of drugs, which fenbendazole belongs to, inhibit the polymerization of tubulin. In this way, it kills parasites. It also has a similar mechanism of action to cytotoxic anticancer agents that act on microtubules.
But Tippens did not claim that fenbendazole alone cures cancer. He said he took the drug while undergoing conventional treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation.
Anthelmintic
fenben lab fenbendazol is a broad spectrum benzimidazole with antiparasitic properties. It acts by binding to tubulin and inhibiting its polymerization, which disrupts microtubules that form part of the cytoskeleton. It also binds to other proteins and interferes with their functions, including cell division. It is similar to cytotoxic anticancer agents that act on microtubules and has similar effects on helminth parasites.
This drug is commonly used in veterinary medicine to treat gastrointestinal parasites, such as giardiasis and roundworms. It also has activity against tapeworms in the Taenia genus, but is less effective against Dipylidium caninum. It is also used to treat pulmonary paragonimiasis in dogs, cats, horses, and rabbits. It can be administered by mouth or through an injection into the rectum.
In a toxicity study on mammalian macrophages, fenbendazole had minimal toxicity. The LD50 of the drug was 3.072, generating a selectivity index (LD50/MIC) of 256. The concentration of fenbendazole that killed 50% of the cells was determined by using the checkerboard assay. RAW 264.7 macrophages were incubated with varying concentrations of fenbendazole and amphotericin B for 24 h at 37degC. The fungistatic and fungicidal activities of the drugs were evaluated following EUCAST protocols. The results of this study demonstrated that fenbendazole was highly effective in killing cryptococci and inhibiting their spread. In addition, fenbendazole reduced the proliferation rates of cryptococcus and caused a reduction in events required for phagocytic escape.
Antifungal
Fenbendazole is an antifungal drug that works by inhibiting the formation of microtubules, a protein scaffold in cells. Textbook depictions of cells often portray them as amorphous bags of fluid, but these structures establish shape and structure through the cytoskeleton, which comprises tubulin. This complex structure has important functional roles, including providing a rigid support for cellular movement and transporting organelles and cargo inside the cell. In addition, it is also able to protect the cell from damage by binding to a protein called cyclin.
Fenbantel is an effective anthelmintic against numerous gastrointestinal parasites in animals, especially horses. It reduces and removes nematodes and protozoal parasites. It is especially effective against the trematodes that are associated with intestinal disease in horses (Alaria spp, Heterobilharzia americana, and Platynosomum fastosum). It is also known to be effective against the cysticercoid worms (Cyathostomus spp) and whipworms (Trichuris suis) in dogs and cats. It has also been used to reduce and suppress cyathostomin fecal egg counts in naturally infected mares and swine.
To evaluate the antifungal properties of fenbendazole, it was combined with amphotericin B in a checkerboard assay. The concentration of amphotericin B was varied from 0.007 to 0.5 ug/ml, and the concentration of fenbendazole ranged from 0.003 to 1.536 ug/ml. The MIC values of the combination and the amphotericin B were determined using the broth microdilution method, following EUCAST protocol E.Def 7.3.1. Fungal suspensions were inoculated on RPMI plates that were supplemented with varying concentrations of fenbendazole and amphotericin B, and the plates were incubated at 30degC for 24 h. The plates were then analyzed under a microscope and India ink counterstained to visualize the cells. The results indicated that fenbendazole potentiated the antifungal activity of amphotericin B against C. neoformans and C. gattii.
Antimalarial
The benzimidazole carbamate fenbendazole has antimalarial properties and is active against some parasitic protozoal infections, including human sleeping sickness (onchocerciasis) and other diseases caused by trypanosomes. It also has antifungal properties and is used to treat trichomoniasis, giardiasis, and amebiasis. It is also an anti-inflammatory and has antidiabetic effects. It has been shown to inhibit cell proliferation and suppress tumor growth in animals. The molecule also acts as a moderate microtubule destabilizing agent and induces cell death by multiple pathways. It is available as a pill or liquid under the brand names Pancur and Safe-Guard.
The anti-cancer properties of fenbendazole are well known, and it has been demonstrated in many animal models to reduce the size of tumors, retard their growth, and prevent metastasis. It is believed that it works by blocking the activation of a tumor suppressor protein and preventing the formation of new blood vessels in cancer cells.
The anti-leukaemia properties of fenbendazole have been investigated using an in vitro assay of the EMT6 leukaemia cell line. A combination of bioinformatics and cheminformatics was employed to identify the top compounds in CMap with relevance scores to leukaemia. Three of the top predictions, namely proxymetacaine, fenbendazole, and terazosin, were selected for in-vitro validation with genistein serving as a control. The results showed that all three drugs exhibited in-vitro anti-leukaemia activity, but fenbendazole was the most potent, with a score of 1.6 times greater than genistein.
Anticancer
The benzimidazole drug fenbendazole has anticancer properties in addition to its anthelmintic effects. It is thought to bind to the b-tubulin microtubule subunits and disrupt their polymerization. This impedes cell division and promotes cancer cell death. It also inhibits the formation of a mitotic spindle, which is essential for cell division and cell growth. Several studies have shown that fenbendazole can kill tumors in laboratory animals and human cells. However, there is no evidence that it can cure cancer in humans. Tippens’ anecdotal experience isn’t backed up by scientific evidence, and his remission might have been the result of other factors that weren’t accounted for. The claims that fenbendazole can cure cancer are unfounded and should be avoided by anyone with a history of cancer.
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and aggressive brain cancer, and despite advances in treatment, the prognosis remains poor for patients. In one study, fenbendazole significantly delayed progression of the disease in mice with Glioblastoma multiforme and reduced tumor volume, vascularity, and number of lymph node metastases. It also reduced levels of Th2-derived cytokines and goblet cells in the lungs.
In another experiment, mice with EMT6 lung tumors received three daily doses of fenbendazole for 12 days. They then underwent local tumor irradiation with 10 Gy. When compared to the control mice, fenbendazole significantly reduced the size of tumors and their vascularity and shortened the lifespan of tumor-free mice.
