Follow-up to: Menbendazole for cancer, yeah or nay?
Question explored with the scientific record
Ivermectin?
Ivermectin kills cancer cells in dishes and in mice, but no human cancer trial is in the evidence.
The evidence is entirely preclinical. Ivermectin inhibits WNT-TCF signaling at low micromolar concentrations in colon cancer, glioblastoma, and melanoma cell lines [3]. It triggers an inflammatory, immunogenic cell death in breast cancer cells through P2X4/P2X7/pannexin-1 channels, releasing ATP and HMGB1 and activating both caspase-1 and caspase-3 [4]. In a rat glioma model, intranasal ivermectin nanocapsules reduced tumor volume by 70% compared to control [8]. In mouse breast cancer, oral ivermectin at 5 mg/kg converted cold tumors to hot and synergized with anti-PD1 [7]. A 2020 review lists the mechanisms: MDR transporter inhibition, AKT/mTOR blockade, PAK1 degradation, and cancer stem cell marker reduction [9].
The one human study in the evidence is an Ecuadorian survey: 19% of cancer patients self-medicated with ivermectin, but no efficacy data was collected [2]. Two case reports document ivermectin treating Strongyloides infections in cancer patients, not the cancer itself [5, 12]. The Ecuador study reports side effects: diarrhea, skin blisters, injection pain, burning sensation [2].
| Cancer type | Model | IC50 or effect | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colon cancer | Cell lines | 1.0–2.1 µM | [3] |
| Glioblastoma | Cell lines | 2.1–2.6 µM | [3] |
| Breast cancer | Cell lines | ~2 µM, immunogenic death | [4] |
| Ovarian cancer | Cell lines | 12–16 µM | [6] |
| Glioma | Rat model | 70% tumor reduction | [8] |
| Breast cancer | Mouse model | Synergy with anti-PD1 | [7] |
My call: ivermectin has a broad and mechanistically diverse preclinical anti-cancer signal, but the human evidence is absent. Confidence: low for human efficacy, moderate for the preclinical rationale.
Sources examined 12
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Biomimetic platelet-membrane camouflaged ivermectin nanocrystals for tumor homing and breast cancer management
The study develops biomimetic platelet-membrane camouflaged ivermectin nanocrystals (PMV/Ivm-NC) using a sonoprecipitation method and platelet membrane coating to achieve targeted tumor homing, immunogenic cancer cell death, and enhanced antitumor/antimetastatic effects against …
DOI: 10.1007/s13346-025-02032-2 -
Outcome of Ivermectin in Cancer Treatment: An Experience in Loja-Ecuador
This study investigates the use of ivermectin as an alternative treatment for cancer in rural areas of Loja, Ecuador, revealing that a significant percentage of cancer patients self-medicate with this antiparasitic drug despite a lack of scientific endorsement for its efficacy i…
DOI: 10.3390/nursrep13010030 -
The river blindness drug I vermectin and related macrocyclic lactones inhibit WNT ‐ TCF pathway responses in human cancer
This study identifies Ivermectin and related macrocyclic lactones as effective inhibitors of the WNT-TCF signaling pathway in human cancer cells, suggesting their potential therapeutic use against various cancers.
DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201404084 -
Modulation of P2X4/P2X7/Pannexin-1 sensitivity to extracellular ATP via Ivermectin induces a non-apoptotic and inflammatory form of cancer cell death
Augmenting extracellular ATP signaling through P2X4/P2X7/Pannexin-1 with Ivermectin drives a rapid, inflammatory cancer cell death in breast cancer cells, combining necrotic/pyroptotic and apoptotic pathways via ROS/CaMKII/MPTP and autophagy, with immunogenic-cell-death hallmark…
DOI: 10.1038/srep16222 -
A Case Report of Disseminated Strongyloidiasis Following Chemoradiotherapy for Lung Cancer in a Patient Living in a Non-endemic Area in Japan
This case report documents HTLV-1-associated disseminated Strongyloides stercoralis infection developing after chemoradiotherapy for lung cancer in a non-endemic area of Japan, successfully treated with daily ivermectin followed by six months of intermittent dosing, highlighting…
DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.5829-25 -
Ivermectin Augments the Anti-Cancer Activity of Pitavastatin in Ovarian Cancer Cells
This study investigates the synergistic effects of ivermectin and pitavastatin on ovarian cancer cell lines, demonstrating that their combination enhances anti-cancer activity and may reduce the required dosage of pitavastatin.
DOI: 10.3390/diseases11010049 -
Ivermectin converts cold tumors hot and synergizes with immune checkpoint blockade for treatment of breast cancer
This study demonstrates that ivermectin can convert cold breast tumors into hot tumors by inducing immunogenic cell death and enhancing T cell infiltration, thereby synergizing with immune checkpoint blockade for improved treatment outcomes.
DOI: 10.1038/s41523-021-00229-5 -
Intranasal Delivery of Ivermectin Nanosystems as an Antitumor Agent: Focusing on Glioma Suppression
This study demonstrates nose-to-brain delivery of ivermectin nanocarriers (polymeric nanocapsules and mesoporous silica particles) to suppress glioma growth in a rat model, with intranasal polymeric nanocapsules significantly reducing tumor size and improving histology at a clin…
DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.5c00642 -
Old wine in new bottles: Drug repurposing in oncology
A comprehensive narrative review detailing how eight non-oncologic drugs (artesunate, aspirin, cimetidine, doxycycline, ivermectin, metformin, rapamycin, and thalidomide) have demonstrated anticancer activity across in vitro, in vivo, and limited clinical contexts, outlining the…
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.172784 -
Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals neutrophil differentiation-related genes for immunotherapy response prediction in colorectal cancer
Single-cell RNA sequencing of colorectal cancer reveals neutrophil differentiation–related genes that predict immunotherapy response and identifies Ivermectin as a potential adjunct therapeutic strategy.
DOI: 10.1186/s12885-025-15355-7 -
Antiproliferative and Trypanocidal Activity of Ivermectin Bioconjugates
This study synthesizes ten ivermectin bioconjugates with diverse bioactive partners (cinchona alkaloids, nucleosides, metronidazole, betulinic acid, artesunate) using carbonate, urethane, or click-type linkers, and evaluates their antiproliferative activity against four human ca…
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c02998 -
Strongyloides stercoralis larvae in the urine of a patient with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: a case report
A Nigerian case report describing disseminated Strongyloides stercoralis infection with larvae detected in the urine of a 60-year-old man with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, treated with ivermectin, who died within a week, highlighting the need to suspect strongyloi…
DOI: 10.1007/s12639-018-1051-6