The Testing Evidence for Using Ivermectin for Treating Leukemia or Blood Cancer

Executive Summary

• Ivermectin is proven to treat a variety of different cancers.
• Leukemia is one of them.

Introduction

In a previous article titled How Ivermectin Is Useful for Treating Cancer we covered the evidence for the benefits of Ivermectin for cancer. But the question of which cancers Ivermectin has been proven to be effective is a constant source of questions.

This article provides an overview coverage of these specific cancers.

There are a lot of quotes in this article, but I have a short one for each cancer type. The article uses the term “IVM” to mean Ivermectin.

Cancer Type #5:Hematological Cancer or Blood Cancer or Leukemia

Leukemia is a type of malignant clonal disease caused by abnormal hematopoietic stem cells [52]. In an experiment designed to screen potential drugs for the treatment of leukemia, IVM preferentially killed leukemia cells at low concentrations without affecting normal hematopoietic cells [51]. The mechanism was related to the increase in the influx of chloride ions into the cell by IVM, resulting in hyperpolarization of the plasma membrane and induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. It was also proven that IVM has a synergistic effect with cytarabine and daunorubicin on the treatment of leukemia. Wang’s experiment found that IVM could selectively induce mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, causing chronic myeloid leukemia K562 cells to undergo increased caspase-dependent apoptosis compared with normal bone marrow cells [53]. It was also confirmed that IVM inhibited tumor growth in a dose-dependent manner, and dasatinib had improved efficacy.

In an experiment designed to screen potential drugs for the treatment of leukemia, IVM preferentially killed leukemia cells at low concentrations without affecting normal hematopoietic cells. – NIH

The Importance of The NIH Stopping Any Funding For Ivermectin Studies

Notice that none of the studies on Ivermectin were performed in the US. The US has by far the largest national medical research budget in the world, and so if the US is not performing studies, this is not only a negative but tells us something peculiar about what the NIH is deciding not to fund in the area of cancer research.

Zero is the number of studies funded by the NIH on Ivermectin. The NIH will not fund studies into generic drugs, as the NIH is controlled by pharmaceutical companies and they have deep financial ties to them. Funding research into generic drugs could end up showing those drugs as effective, which is a threat to pharmaceutical profits, which the NIH is dedicated to maximizing. 

Regarding the dosage and sourcing of Ivermectin, see the article On the Topic of Ivermectin Dosage and Sourcing.

Why Are Anti Parasitic Drugs Effective Against Cancer?

If you want to understand why this class of drugs works against cancer, see the article The Mechanism of How Anti Parasitic Drugs Work to Mitigate Cancer.

The Many Cancers for Which Ivermectin Has Proven Effective in Fighting Tumors

Ivermectin has demonstrated its antitumor effects in different types of cancers, including ovarian cancer (OC), pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, glioblastoma, melanoma, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and leukemia.

This likely means that Ivermectin is effective against many cancers, as the exact mechanisms work the same in every cancer we have reviewed.

Ivermectin for Leukemia

The following quotation addresses its impact on leukemia from the article in Nature titled Ivermectin: Enigmatic Multifaceted ‘Wonder’ Drug Continues to Surprise and Exceed Expectations.

Important Point #1: Promotion of Apoptosis in Cancer Cells

It has been reported that ivermectin induces chloride-dependent membrane hyperpolarization and cell death in leukemia cells..

This is called apoptosis. Ivermectin has consistently been shown to activate apoptosis in cancer cells. I cover Ivermectin and apoptosis in the article How Ivermectin Improves Cancer Prevention and Treatment Through Apoptosis and Programmed Cell Death.

Important Point #2: Supporting Chemotherapy

..and it has also been suggested that ivermectin synergizes with the chemotherapy agents cytarabine and daunorubicin to induce cell death in leukemia cells, with researchers claiming that ivermectin could be rapidly advanced into clinical trials.

This potential has been supported by reports that ivermectin displays bioactivity against chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells and against ME-180 cervical cancer cells.