Anticarcinogenic effects of selenium
- PMID: 11215513
- PMCID: PMC11146976
- DOI: 10.1007/PL00000668
Anticarcinogenic effects of selenium
Abstract
Selenium (Se) exerts its anticarcinogenic effects by multiple mechanisms. In the physiological dosage range, Se appears to function as an antimutagenic agent, preventing the malignant transformation of normal cells and the activation of oncogenes. These protective effects of Se seem to be primarily associated with its presence in the glutathione peroxidases, which are known to protect DNA and other cellular components from damage by oxygen radicals. Selenoenzymes are also known to play roles in carcinogen metabolism, in the control of cell division, oxygen metabolism, detoxification processes, apoptosis induction and the functioning of the immune system. Other modes of action, either direct or indirect, may also be operative, such as the partial retransformation of tumor cells and the inactivation of oncogenes. However, the effects of Se in the physiological dosage range are not attributable to cytotoxicity, allowing Se to be defined as a genuine nutritional cancer-protecting agent. The anticarcinogenic effects of Se are counteracted by Se-antagonistic compounds and elements. For maximal utilization of its cancer-protective potential, Se supplementation should start early in life and be maintained over the entire lifespan. In addition, exposure to Se antagonists and carcinogenic risk factors should be minimized by appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes.
Similar articles
-
Selenium. Mechanistic aspects of anticarcinogenic action.Biol Trace Elem Res. 1992 Apr-Jun;33:51-62. doi: 10.1007/BF02783992. Biol Trace Elem Res. 1992. PMID: 1379460 Review.
-
Selenium metabolism, selenoproteins and mechanisms of cancer prevention: complexities with thioredoxin reductase.Carcinogenesis. 1999 Sep;20(9):1657-66. doi: 10.1093/carcin/20.9.1657. Carcinogenesis. 1999. PMID: 10469608 Review.
-
An analysis of cancer prevention by selenium.Biofactors. 2001;14(1-4):153-9. doi: 10.1002/biof.5520140120. Biofactors. 2001. PMID: 11568452 Review.
-
Selenium in cancer prevention: a review of the evidence and mechanism of action.Proc Nutr Soc. 2005 Nov;64(4):527-42. doi: 10.1079/pns2005467. Proc Nutr Soc. 2005. PMID: 16313696 Review.
-
Selenium and selenium-antagonistic elements in nutritional cancer prevention.Crit Rev Biotechnol. 2009;29(1):10-7. doi: 10.1080/07388550802658048. Crit Rev Biotechnol. 2009. PMID: 19514899 Review.
Cited by
-
Selenium and prostate cancer prevention: insights from the selenium and vitamin E cancer prevention trial (SELECT).Nutrients. 2013 Apr 3;5(4):1122-48. doi: 10.3390/nu5041122. Nutrients. 2013. PMID: 23552052 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Selenium and bladder cancer risk: a meta-analysis.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010 Sep;19(9):2407-15. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-10-0544. Epub 2010 Aug 31. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010. PMID: 20807831 Free PMC article.
-
Comparative distribution of the scalp hair trace metal contents in the benign tumour patients and normal donors.Environ Monit Assess. 2008 Dec;147(1-3):377-88. doi: 10.1007/s10661-007-0127-z. Epub 2008 Jan 23. Environ Monit Assess. 2008. PMID: 18214698
-
The interplay of transition metals in ferroptosis and pyroptosis.Cell Div. 2024 Aug 3;19(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s13008-024-00127-9. Cell Div. 2024. PMID: 39097717 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Toenail selenium concentrations and bladder cancer risk in women and men.Br J Cancer. 2005 Oct 3;93(7):804-6. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6602788. Br J Cancer. 2005. PMID: 16175184 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
