Mounting research on mice has shown that the anti-worm treatment, one of a class of drugs called benzimidazoles, inhibits cancer tumor growth by killing diseased cells. In addition, Fenbendazole blocks the intake of glucose in cancer cells, depriving them of their primary fuel.
Early animal studies have demonstrated Fenbendazole and its cousin Mebendazole could be effective in treatment therapy for a host of cancers, including prostate, lung, lymphoma, glioblastoma and brain tumors. Oncologists would have a new weapon in their arsenal in the battle against cancer.
Researchers stumbled upon the the discovery by accident. In 2014, a Johns Hopkins team was attempting to grow tumors in laboratory mice. In one set of mice, they were stumped because it was the only group that showed no tumors. They realized that group had been dewormed in advance.
As researchers dug deeper into the drug, they found that it had been previously reported Fenbendazole has anti-cancer properties. Word spread about the discovery and soon researchers in various labs were conducting their own experiments with the anti-worm drug.
A 2018 study published in Nature further set the cancer world buzzing. An article reported that researchers concluded there was evidence that Fenbendazole may be effective in the elimination of cancer cells. As it turns out, the use of similar drugs was nothing new in the cancer field.
In the early 90's, a drug called Lemaziole was shown as a complementary treatment for colon cancer, which also restored a depressed immune system. That means this class of drugs could be used in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation treatments to wipe out the disease.
Various articles have appeared in newspapers and other publications over the years offering testimonies of cancer patients who have claimed to use Fenbendazole or another similar drug with successful results. However, this anecdotal evidence is no substitute for clinical research.
The good news is that Fenbendazole has already been used in clinical trials and has been deemed safe for human consumption. Unlike chemotherapy and radiation, there are no known serious side effects. However, doctors still are wary about the effects of long-term use.
But that hasn't deterred researchers. Bin Chen, a faculty member in Pediatrics in the Institute for Computational Health Sciences at University of California-San Francisco, conducted experiments in mice and expressed cautious optimism about the drug's effectiveness in killing cancerous liver tissue.
"We found these disease genes were reversed after six weeks of treatment in a patient-derived tissue in the mouse model," he was quoted on the UCSF website. Chen said his team reviewed more than 1,000 current drugs before discovering deworming pills were effective.
Chen was able to evaluate that large a number of drugs quickly, using data tools to screen and identify candidates that would target genes in cancerous liver tissues. He cross-referenced data on genes and common drugs to find the proverbial needle in the haystack.
Chen is at the forefront of a growing field of researchers looking at approved drugs to repurpose them in treating cancer patients. If successful, this will drastically reduce the millions of dollars spent on years of research and speed up the drug's time to market.
The next step is for human trials, known as Phase I studies. The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins has begun recruiting patients for research to determine the safety and side effects of large doses of Mebendazole to treat progressive pediatric brain tumors.
Mebendazole has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for parasitic infections in humans and has a long track record of human use. The drug is frequently used in countries with tropical climates at high doses for rare parasitic infections of the brain.
The trial's primary objective will be to determine the maximum tolerated dose of oral Mebendazole in patients with either recurrent or progressive pediatric brain tumors, according to information posted by the National Cancer Institute.
The research will also gauge the safety, tolerance and toxicity of the drug in patients. Another focus will be determining the overall survival rate of patients treated with escalated dosages of Mebendazole.
As is the case with most drug trials, the study will require at least two years. The estimated study completion date is June, 2022. However, an advantage is the anti-parasitic drug is widely available, so if it proves effective, large quantities can be immediately distributed to patients.
Sadly, too often potentially promising developments on the cancer front are dashed in trials that fail to produce evidence to support the optimism. This time the hope is that the research outcome leads to the implementation of a new treatment to arrest cancer and save lives.
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