Abstract
It has been 50 years since the surprising discovery in 1949 that selenium (Se) had cancer preventing properties in animals given a chemical carcinogen (1). Numerous studies have confirmed the anticarcinogenic effects of supranutritional levels of Se in animals and more recently in humans given supplemental Se, as described by Combs (2). Proposed mechanisms of action for Se, as reviewed elsewhere in more detail (3), are based on (i) the formation of selenoproteins and (ii) the generation of low molecular weight Se metabolites by intermediary metabolism of Se in animals. A collaborative project (4,5) to investigate mechanisms and develop improved forms of Se for cancer prevention has provided considerable evidence that methylated metabolites of Se are important for Se anticarcinogenic action in animal model systems. The objective of this article is to summarize the findings that led to this concept and describe applications using methylated selenoamino acids that occur naturally in plants as a practical delivery mechanism for chemoprevention.
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Ganther, H.E. (2001). Selenium Metabolism and Mechanisms of Cancer Prevention. In: Nutrition and Cancer Prevention. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 492. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1283-7_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1283-7_10
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