Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC): What research is being done?

Hi @sandyjr, here is a list of current clinical trials related to Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) currently being done at Mayo Clinic https://www.mayo.edu/research/clinical-trials/diseases-conditions/primary-sclerosing-cholangitis/

You may also being interested in the archived articles in this Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) Blog on Connect. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/psc/

Konstantinos N. Lazaridis, M.D. is a leading researcher in all things PSC at Mayo.

Has anyone tried ivermectin or another anti parasitic for treatment of PSC. My daughter has PSC and is wondering if any one of these medicines might be a treatment for PSC. Because PSC is a relatively uncommon illness, there is not that much research being done to find a “cure”. It is possible that one of these drugs might actually be a good treatment for PSC. Since it is becoming clear that ivermectin is not the bogey man it has been said to be, I am wondering if anyone has thought about trying it because it does have very curative results in many illnesses that are not parasite related. If you have discussed it with your doctor, has there been any positive feedback?

@sandyjr, ivermectin and other antiparasitic drugs are not standard treatments for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). PSC is a chronic disease of the bile ducts, not a parasitic infection.

Ivermectin is used to treat river blindness (onchocerciasis), intestinal infection from threadworms (strongyloidiasis), and other kinds of worm infections. Ivermectin is an anthelmintic. It works by interfering with the nerve and muscle functions of worms, by paralyzing and killing them. (https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/ivermectin-oral-route/description/drg-20064397)

It sounds like you've been seeing stories in the media and social media that led to your question. There's a lot of information as well as misinformation circulating about ivermectin and its use as a treatment for everything from Covid to cancer.

For liver-related diseases, I found this one study from 2022 that was done in mice.
- Ivermectin Attenuates CCl4-Induced Liver Fibrosis in Mice by Suppressing Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9782196/

However, I found no human trials as yet.

As you know, with liver disease patients have to be so careful with non-precribed drugs or supplements. They can cause serious damage to the liver, even a healthy liver. Ivermectin and other dewormers (anthelmintic) like fenbendazole can cause irreparable liver damage.
- Liver damage from Fenbendazole https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38706451/

Important
It is NOT safe to take ivermectin used in veterinary medicine. Please discuss with a medical professional before taking any over-the-counter medications or supplements that make claims of a cure.