How does Ivermectin inhibit spread of Breast Cancer? 2025 Thailand paper by Rujimongkon et al.
HIGHLIGHTS:
This paper explores whether Ivermectin could be “repurposed” as a potential helper in fighting certain tough-to-treat breast cancers. Researchers tested Ivermectin on lab-grown breast cancer cells, specifically types that no longer respond to hormone therapies (like tamoxifen or fulvestrant).
KEY FINDINGS:
Ivermectin slows cancer cell growth: It stops these resistant cancer cells from multiplying as quickly.
The effective doses were in a realistic range (micromolar levels, similar to what’s seen in other lab studies), and it worked about as well on resistant cells as on regular breast cancer cells. Normal (non-cancer) breast cells were less affected, suggesting selectivity for cancer cells.
It may help overcome drug resistance: When combined with tamoxifen (a standard hormone therapy), lower doses of tamoxifen still worked, hinting that Ivermectin could make resistant cancers sensitive again.
It reduces cancer spread potential: Cancer spreads (metastasizes) when cells become more mobile and invasive.
Ivermectin blocked the cancer cells’ ability to migrate and invade in lab tests.
It did this partly by reversing “epithelial-mesenchymal transition” (EMT)—a process where cancer cells become more aggressive and spread-prone.
Specifically, Ivermectin lowered levels of proteins like vimentin and snail (which promote spread) and may help restore E-cadherin (which keeps cells stuck together).
The paper focuses on the Wnt signaling pathway, which is often overactive in breast cancer and drives growth and spread.
Ivermectin reduced certain Wnt “signals” (like Wnt5a/b ligands) and a receptor (LRP6), leading to less EMT and potentially slower progression.
The effects were stronger in resistant cells.
The researchers compared Ivermectin to an approved drug palbociclib (Ibrance), used for similar resistant breast cancers, and found Ivermectin was more effective at blocking some spread-related changes in their tests.
CONCLUSION:
These lab results suggest Ivermectin has promising anti-growth and anti-spread effects on hormone-therapy-resistant breast cancer cells, possibly by interfering with the Wnt pathway and EMT.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12200854/
https://x.com/MakisMedicine/status/2007903557341901237?s=20
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12200854/
https://x.com/MakisMedicine/status/2007903557341901237?s=20
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