UAE researchers find mebendazole may boost gefitinib in lung cancer
Researchers at RAK Medical and Health Sciences University in the United Arab Emirates just found that mebendazole, a cheap pill usually used for worm infections, might make lung cancer treatment work better.
When they combined it with gefitinib, a targeted cancer treatment, lab tests reduced resistant cancer-cell viability, and mouse studies showed the combination extended the time for tumors to double in size.
Researchers probe mechanism and safety
Researchers are now figuring out exactly how mebendazole helps: does it actually reverse resistance or just stress out the cancer cells?
They're also checking if this combo is safe for people and if it could help with additional resistant cell lines, patient-derived tumor models, and resistance to osimertinib.
As researcher Shakta Mani Satyam put it, "We are encouraged by the results, but further preclinical validation and careful assessment of drug exposure and safety must come before any conclusions about its clinical potential."