Metabolism and anticancer mechanisms of selocompounds: Comprehensive review

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient with several functions in cellular and molecular anticancer processes. There is evidence that Se depending on its chemical form and the dosage use could act as a modulator in some anticancer mechanisms. However, the metabolism of organic and inorganic forms of dietary selenium converges on the main pathways. Different selenocompounds have been reported to have crucial roles as chemopreventive agents, such as antioxidant activity, activation of apoptotic pathways, selective cytotoxicity, antiangiogenic effect, and cell cycle modulation. Nowadays, great interest has arisen to find therapies that could enhance the antitumor effects of different Se sources. Herein, different studies are reported related to the effects of combinatorial therapies, where Se is used in combination with proteins, polysaccharides, chemotherapeutic agents or as nanoparticles. Another important factor is the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes related to Se metabolism or selenoprotein synthesis which could prevent cancer. These studies and mechanisms show promising results in cancer therapies. This review aims to compile studies that have demonstrated the anticancer effects of Se at molecular levels and its potential to be used as chemopreventive and in cancer treatment.This research was supported by the Nutriomics y Tecnologías Emergentes Research Chair Funds from Tecnológico de Monterrey, the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas through the i-Link Program (LINKB20023), and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the PID2019-106071RB-I00 project. The scholarships of Juan Pablo Dávila Vega (CVU-1006860), Ana Carolina Gastélum Hernández (CVU-703109), and Sayra Nayely Serrano Sandoval (CVU-737636) were provided by Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT).Peer reviewe