Mebendazole is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic that is active against both larval and adult stages of nematodes selectively binding the β-subunit of tubulin, thereby inhibiting intestinal microtubule synthesis in the parasite (IC50 = 0.19 μM for Giardia in vitro). As a tubulin-binding agent, mebendazole also possesses antitumor properties, inducing apoptosis of various human carcinomas both in vitro and in vivo, thus preventing their growth and migration. Furthermore, mebendazole has been used to inhibit hedgehog signaling in cancer cells via suppression of the formation of the primary cilium, a microtubule-based organelle that functions as a signaling hub for hedgehog pathway activation. Additionally, mebendazole has been shown to stabilize the transcriptional activator HIF-1α and its downstream targets, abrogating oxidative neuronal death in primary neurons.
