Selenium and selenocysteine: roles in cancer, health, and development

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Cell Biology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Selenium's dual nature: initially recognized as a toxin, later established as an essential trace element.
• Emergence of selenium as a potential cancer chemopreventive agent in the 1990s.
• Contradictory outcomes in human clinical trials regarding selenium's efficacy in cancer prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the multifaceted biological and biomedical roles of selenium.
• To explore selenium's impact on health, development, and cancer processes.
• To understand the mechanisms underlying selenium's functions in cellular activities.

Main Methods:

• Review of basic research on selenium's biological effects.
• Analysis of selenium's role in health and development.
• Investigation of selenium's involvement in cancer prevention and promotion.

Main Results:

• Dietary selenium primarily exerts its effects through selenoproteins.
• Selenoproteins are predominantly oxidoreductases.
• These selenoproteins are integral to diverse cellular functions.

Conclusions:

• Selenium plays critical roles in biological and biomedical processes, extending beyond its initial toxicological profile.
• Despite mixed clinical trial results, fundamental research continues to uncover selenium's importance in health and disease.
• Selenoproteins are key mediators of selenium's essential functions, impacting cellular redox balance and various physiological pathways.