Cytotoxic Effects of Flubendazole in Human Lung Cancer Cell Line A549

Background: The development of effective anticancer drugs is a significant health issue. Previous studies showed that members of the benzimidazole family have anticancer effects on several cancers Objectives: The present study investigated the cytotoxic effect of flubendazole on A549 human lung cancer cells. Methods: The A549 cells were treated with flubendazole at 1, 2, 5, and 10 μM concentrations for three days. Cell viability was measured by the MTT assay and Acridine orange staining. Also, the expressions of P62 and Beclin -1 were analyzed by qRT-PCR analysis. Results: Cell viability of A549 cells, in a concentration-dependent manner, showed significant differences between the treatment and control groups, and the IC50 value was determined to be 2 μM. Also, flubendazole reduced the expression of P62 and increased the expression of Beclin 1 in treated cells. Conclusions: Flubendazole induces cell death in A549 cells in a dose and time-dependent manner and can offer new factors in lung cancer therapeutic strategies.