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Considering the Mechanisms of Cancer Prevention by Selenium

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Nutrition and Cancer Prevention

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 492))

Abstract

Selenium (Se) was recognized as having nutritional importance fairly late in the development of nutrition knowledge (Schwarz and Foltz, 1957) and, for many years, the nature of its role in nutrition remained clouded by the lack of information about its biochemical mechanisms of action. First, it was regarded only as a factor that could somehow “spare” vitamin E in animal diets; and then it became clear that it was specifically required for the synthesis of a number of proteins, including some with antioxidant like functions (glutathione peroxidases [GPX], thioredoxin reductase), as well as others (iodothyronine 5’-deiodinases [DI]) with important metabolic significance of a different type, all of which contained Se in the form of the unusual amino acid, selenocysteine (SeCys). In fact, information about SeCys-proteins continues to emerge and, with it, understanding of the nutritional and health importance of the trace element continues to expand.

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  1. Division of Nutritional Sciences Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

    Gerald F. Combs Jr. Ph.D.

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  1. Gerald F. Combs Jr. Ph.D.
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    © 2001 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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    Combs, G.F. (2001). Considering the Mechanisms of Cancer Prevention by Selenium. 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_9

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1283-7_9

    • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

    • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5477-2

    • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-1283-7

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