Final answer:
Mebendazole is an antihelminthic drug used to treat worm infections. It works by inhibiting microtubule formation in helminths, affecting their ability to uptake glucose and leading to their eventual death without harming the human host.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mebendazole is a drug used to treat helminthic infections. It belongs to a class of drugs called synthetic benzimidazoles, which bind to helminthic ß-tubulin, thereby preventing the formation of microtubules that are essential for their glucose uptake and intestinal cells' structure. This selective toxicity is critical as helminths are multicellular eukaryotes, closely related to humans, making safe and effective drug design challenging. Unlike drugs targeting other single-cell eukaryotes or prokaryotes, antihelminthic drugs such as mebendazole are designed not to harm human hosts while being effective against a broad range of helminthic parasitic worms. These drugs can have side effects, which may include liver damage and bone marrow suppression.