Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Sep 06, 2025 2 hours, 49 minutes ago
Medical News: A New Look at an Old Drug
Ivermectin, a medicine best known for treating parasitic infections, may also have powerful anti-inflammatory effects, according to new research. Scientists from the Department of Dermatology and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the University of California School of Medicine, together with the VA Northern California Health Care System, discovered that ivermectin can block certain inflammatory signals at the cellular level. This
Medical News report looks at why this discovery could have major implications for chronic diseases linked to inflammation.
Ivermectin Found to Block Inflammatory Signals in Surprising Way
Understanding the Cellular Gateways
The researchers focused on integrins, which are proteins found on cell surfaces that act like gateways, helping cells respond to signals. Normally, inflammatory molecules such as TNF (tumor necrosis factor) attach to integrins and trigger strong immune responses. While this is helpful for fighting infections, too much activity leads to damaging inflammation, which can play a role in autoimmune conditions, cancer, and even insulin resistance.
How Ivermectin Works at Site 2
Using computer docking simulations, the team showed that ivermectin attaches to a special spot on integrins called “site 2.” This is the same area where inflammatory molecules such as TNF and other cytokines try to bind. By blocking this site, ivermectin prevents the chain reaction that would normally lead to inflammation. The experiments confirmed that ivermectin suppressed integrin activation by multiple inflammatory triggers, including TNF, FGF2, CD40L, and CCL5.
More Than Just Parasite Control
The study also compared ivermectin’s effects to natural anti-inflammatory proteins like FGF1 and NRG1, which can also occupy site 2. Like these protective molecules, ivermectin worked as an antagonist, preventing the harmful overactivation of integrins. Interestingly, the findings suggest ivermectin might not only reduce inflammation but could also help prevent complications such as blood clot formation, since platelet integrins are often involved in dangerous clotting events.
Potential Implications for Medicine
These results shed light on why ivermectin has shown benefits in conditions beyond parasite control, including metabolic issues, viral infections, and inflammatory disorders. The discovery that ivermectin targets site 2 offers a clear explanation for its anti-inflammatory action and opens the door to designing new drugs or improved versions of ivermectin that dissolve better in water and act more efficiently.
Conclusion
This research highlights an important breakthrough in understanding how ivermectin may help control harmful inflammation. By binding to site 2 of integrins, ivermectin stops powerful molecules like TNF from triggering dangerous immune responses. This mechanism could play a role in managing chronic infl
ammatory diseases, autoimmune disorders, clotting problems, and even cancer-related inflammation. While more studies are needed in living cells and eventually in human patients, the evidence shows that a widely available drug could have unexpected life-saving potential in new areas of medicine.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed International Journal of Molecular Sciences
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/26/17/8655
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