Antiparasitic agents in oncology: Innovative mechanisms, emerging evidence and clinical potential in cancer treatment.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of preclinical mechanisms and early clinical literature
PubMed 42217373 · doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2026.118987
What was done
The authors reviewed mechanistic, preclinical, and early clinical literature on repositioning antiparasitic agents—including ivermectin, mebendazole, niclosamide, albendazole, artesunate, flubendazole, and pyrvinium pamoate—for oncology applications.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical findings or effect sizes. Preclinically, ivermectin showed activity in breast, ovarian, and colorectal models via P-glycoprotein modulation, chloride channel activation, and oncogenic signaling inhibition. Mebendazole inhibited tubulin polymerization, angiogenesis, and showed immunostimulatory actions. Niclosamide acted as a STAT3/Wnt inhibitor, artesunate induced reactive oxygen species, and pyrvinium pamoate blocked Wnt signaling. Broad reported mechanisms include microtubule disruption, apoptosis induction, PI3K/Akt/mTOR and Hedgehog pathway inhibition, and cancer stem cell targeting.
Why it matters
Repurposing off-patent antiparasitics could offer lower-cost oncology therapeutics by exploiting multi-target mechanisms, but actionable clinical efficacy remains unconfirmed.
Limits
The abstract provides no quantitative data or specific study counts. Evidence is predominantly derived from cell-culture and animal models, and clinical translation is hindered by pharmacokinetic limitations, heterogeneous dosing regimens, and a lack of adequately powered randomized clinical trials.
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