Featured article | December 2024
The Immunomodulatory Effects of Selenium: A Journey from the Environment to the Human Immune System
Sadler, RA et al.
Nutrients 2024, 16, 3324
The article discusses the various roles of selenium in human health and disease.
Discussed in the article:
- Inadequate selenium intake is linked to health issues like cancer, viral mutations, cognitive decline, heart disease, infertility, immune dysfunction, and thyroid problems.
- Selenium enhances immune cell function, including macrophages and neutrophils, by regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and promoting anti-inflammatory responses.
- Selenium impacts gut microbiota composition, supporting beneficial bacteria and improving gut barrier integrity.
- Supplementation of 200 μg/day shows promise in treating autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s) and ulcerative colitis, reducing antibodies and inflammatory markers.
- Selenium may improve outcomes in infections like hepatitis, West Nile virus, and COVID-19 – however, in bacterial infections like tuberculosis, careful application is needed, as excessive selenium may enhance virulence in some pathogens.
- Selenium boosts cancer immunotherapy by activating NK cells and macrophages to target tumors, and selenium nanoparticles can induce cancer cell death while sparing healthy cells.
“The immunosuppressing or immunostimulatory consequences of Se administration may largely be dose-dependent, emphasizing the need to optimize dosing regimens.”
“Selenium nanoparticles selectively target cancer cells, inducing apoptosis and reducing proliferation without harming healthy tissues.”
“Selenium supplementation enhanced gut barrier function by increasing tight junction proteins and reducing inflammatory cytokines, supporting its role in preventing systemic spread of pathogens.”
