Fenbendazole Lab
Fenbendazole is an anthelmintic useful for the removal of various parasites, including nematodes (Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Ancylostoma caninum, Toxascaris leonina, and Crenosoma vulpis), hookworms (Filaroides hirthi, Pearsonema caninum, and Strongylidium dipylidium), whipworms (Trichuris vulpis), and tapeworms (Taenia pisiformis) in cats and dogs.
In a mouse model of cryptococcosis, fenbendazole deeply affected macrophage infection and was associated with reduced animal mortality. These results indicate that a pharmaceutical preparation of fenbendazole merits further study as an anticryptococcal agent.
Product Description
Fenbendazole (FNB) is an antihelmintic drug that is also known to be effective against various trematode parasites such as Alaria spp., Heterobilharzia americana, and Platynosomum fastosum in dogs and cats. In addition, it is being studied for its potential to kill cancer in humans. This is because fenbendazole is thought to trigger autophagy and ferroptosis in cancer cells, which are both processes that promote cell death.
In this study, fenbendazole and its most popular commercial formulation were tested for their cytotoxic effect against several types of human cancer cell lines. The results indicate that despite formulation issues that hinder the distribution of fenbendazole in the body, it has the potential to be used as an anticancer drug.
To determine the cytotoxic effects of fenbendazole, the cell monolayer was prepared in a 96-well plate using culture medium and then treated with varying concentrations of fenbendazole for 24 hours. The cell viability was determined by trypan blue dye staining and apoptosis was assessed by caspase-3-dependent cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and detection of DNA fragments.
To evaluate the formulation of fenbendazole, dissolution studies were performed on two different brands of fenbendazole powder with 2% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution as a surfactant to enhance the solubility of the compound. During the dissolution experiment, three different LOT numbers of each brand of fenbendazole were examined and the percentage released was recorded at the different time points.
Ingredients
Fenbendazole (INN, USAN, code name Panacur C) is an anthelmintic drug of the benzimidazole class. It is also known by the chemical name 5-(phenylthio)-1H-benzimidazole-2-yl carbamic acid methyl ester and is used to treat parasitic infections in laboratory animals, livestock, companion animals, and people. It is used to treat the infections caused by roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and some tapeworms in animals. It is also used to treat a variety of helminth infections in humans. It is available as a generic medication and under the brand names Pancur and Safe-Guard.
In addition to destroying worms, fenbendazole has been shown to inhibit the development of some tumors in mice. It is thought to work by blocking the ability of cancer cells to absorb glucose from blood. It also interferes with certain enzymes involved in cell division and growth. The Joe Tippens cancer protocol suggests taking 222 mg of fenbendazole per day (1 gram of Panacur C) seven days a week.
Many patients have reported success with this treatment. Some have even claimed to be cancer-free. Some have combined fenbendazole with other treatments such as curcumin, vitamin E, and the Budwig diet. Others have added a wide array of supplements, herbs, repurposed medications, and alternative remedies to their regimens. Anecdotal evidence suggests that fenbendazole can be effective in treating several types of cancer, including glioblastoma and colon cancer.
Dosage
Fenbendazole (methyl N-(6-phenylsulfanyl-1H-benzimidazole-2-yl) carbamate) is a broad-spectrum antihelminthic drug approved for use in many animal species. Veterinarians can repurpose drugs that show promising results in animals for human patients, saving time and money compared to the typical multi-year process required to develop new medications.
A 2018 study published in Scientific Reports found that fenbendazole could slow cancer cell growth in cell cultures. In the same year, researchers found that mebendazole, another antiparasitic drug similar in action to fenbendazole, could also inhibit cancer cell growth in mice.
Both drugs work by blocking the formation of microtubules, a structure that gives cells their shape and strength. Microtubules are made of a protein called tubulin. Cells must continuously assemble and disassemble their cytoskeleton to adapt to changing conditions, such as when a cell must move through narrow spaces or transport organelles or cargo. The cytoskeleton is controlled by the cellular motor proteins cyclin and dynein, which are activated by a molecule known as b-tubulin.
According to the nonprofit organization Cancer Research UK and PolitiFact, there’s no evidence that fenbendazole cures cancer in humans. Moreover, Joe Tippens’ own cancer treatment regimen involved a combination of conventional treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation, alongside his use of fenbendazole. Lastly, a recent experiment comparing tumor growth and radiation response in EMT6 mouse mammary tumors treated with fenbendazole found no evidence that fenbendazole enhances the toxicity of radiotherapy or does anything other than increase the duration of hypoxia-selective nitroheterocyclic cytotoxins/radiosensitizers.
Side Effects
Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintic drug used to treat gastrointestinal parasites in humans and animal species. The drug is also an antitumor agent, and it appears to act in the same way as cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents such as vinca alkaloids (vinblastine, vinorelbine, and vindesine). Like these chemotherapeutic agents, fenbendazole inhibits cell division by binding to a protein called b-tubulin. This protein is a component of microtubules, the proteins that give cells shape and structure.
Microtubules are essential for the formation of a cell’s mitotic spindle, which separates duplicated chromosomes during cell division. The mitotic spindle also provides a platform for cell segregation during anaphase and metaphase, during which the chromosomes must line up precisely and be divided evenly between each daughter cell.
We tested the effect of fenbendazole on radiation-sensitivity in EMT6 cancer cells in vitro. Cells were treated for 2 h with various concentrations of fenbendazole or vehicle, and then exposed to graded doses of radiation under aerobic or hypoxic conditions. The cell viability was determined using a colony formation assay. The results showed that fenbendazole did not significantly alter the radiation dose-response curves for both aerobic and hypoxic EMT6 cells (Figure 2).
In addition to inhibiting the formation of the mitotic spindle, fenbendazole may also interfere with the movement of chromosomes during cell division by interfering with their stability. However, this effect is likely to be relatively small in human cancer cells, and it would be very difficult to predict whether a patient’s survival could be improved by taking fenbendazole or another drug that acts in the same manner. fenben lab fenbendazol