Fenben for Humans

Fenben (FZ) is a widely used animal anthelmintic with a unique mechanism of action. It is not absorbed in the bloodstream but retained in the rumen, where it is slowly metabolized to its sulfoxide derivative with a small fraction excreted in the feces. Despite this, it is well tolerated with very few side effects in ruminants. We therefore investigated if the non-cancer-related effects of this drug could be exploited to kill cancer cells.

The benzimidazole family of drugs, including albendazole and mebendazole, have shown anti-cancer activity in vitro through microtubule destabilization.1 However, clinical trials in humans using these drugs have been unsuccessful to date.2

We found that FZ induced tumor growth inhibition and death of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells through disrupting MT dynamics, activating p53, and modulating genes involved in multiple pathways. Additionally, it inhibited glucose uptake in the cells by down regulation of GLUT transporters and hexokinase II.

The findings of this study suggest that FZ may have the potential to be developed into an effective human anticancer agent. Nonetheless, a substantial amount of scientific data needs to be produced before fenben can be approved for human use. This is because the withdrawal period of any drug must be established to ensure that no marker residue is present in animals slaughtered for meat or milk.fenben for humans