Selenium NanoParticles / ALAT Cancer Research Results

SeNPs, Selenium NanoParticles: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Selenium NanoParticles
| Category                             | Role in cancer                                                                                  |
| -------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Sodium Selenium (selenite)       | Direct cytotoxic redox poison                                                                   |
| Selenium (organic / nutritional) | **Redox buffer & immune modulator** (generally *anti-therapy* when oxidative stress is desired) |
| SeNPs                            | Tunable redox-signaling anticancer platform                                                     |
The introduction of borneol led to a significant reduction in the size of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), as documented in the study (Prabhakaret et al., 2013).
In the chemical synthesis of selenium nanoparticles, a precursor such as sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃) is dissolved in water to form a homogenous solution. A reducing agent, like ascorbic acid or sodium borohydride (NaBH₄), is then added to the solution. The reducing agent donates electrons to the selenium ions (SeO32−SeO32), reducing them to elemental selenium (Se0Se^0). This reduction process leads to the nucleation of selenium atoms, which subsequently grow into nanoparticles through controlled aggregation.

Se NPs might be hepatoprotective.
(chemoprotective) (radioprotective) (radiosensitizer)

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are a biocompatible, less-toxic, 
and more controllable form of selenium compared to inorganic salts (like sodium selenite).
Major SeNPs hepatoprotective mechanisms
Mechanism	              Description	                       Key markers affected
1. Antioxidant activity	      SeNPs boost antioxidant enzyme          ↓ ROS, ↓ MDA, ↑ GSH, ↑ GPx
                              systems (GPx, SOD, CAT) and scavenge 
                              ROS directly.	
2. Anti-inflammatory effect   Downregulate NF-κB, TNF-α,              ↓ TNF-α, ↓ IL-1β, ↓ IL-6
                              IL-6, and COX-2 pathways.	
3. Anti-apoptotic action      Balance between Bcl-2/Bax and reduce    ↑ Bcl-2, ↓ Bax, ↓ Caspase-3
                              caspase-3 activation in hepatocytes.	
4. Metal/toxin chelation      SeNPs can bind or transform toxic       ↓ liver metal accumulation
                              metals (Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, As³⁺) 
                              into less harmful complexes.	
5. Mitochondrial protection   Maintain membrane potential,            Preserved ΔΨm, ↑ ATP
                              prevent mitochondrial ROS burst, 
                              and ATP loss.	
6. Regeneration support	      Stimulate hepatocyte proliferation      ↑ PCNA, improved histology
                              and repair via redox signaling 
                              and selenoproteins.

Comparison: SeNPs vs. Sodium Selenite
Property	             SeNPs	                   Sodium Selenite
Toxicity	             Low	                   Moderate–high
Bioavailability	             Controlled, often slow-       Rapid, less controllable
                             release	
ROS balance	             Adaptive, mild antioxidant	   Can flip to pro-oxidant easily
Safety margin	             Wide	                   Narrow
Hepatoprotection	     Strong, sustained	           Protective at low dose, 
                                                           toxic at high dose

Form of SeNPs matter:
1. Core composition / capping agent: SeNPs can be stabilized with polysaccharides, proteins, or small molecules. Some stabilizers may interact with cellular redox systems differently—e.g., a protein-capped SeNP may have slower release and less ROS generation, whereas a bare SeNP might induce stronger ROS in cancer cells.
2. Particle size: Smaller SeNPs (<50 nm) tend to generate more ROS and may enhance anticancer activity, but could theoretically interfere with ROS-dependent chemo if administered simultaneously. Larger SeNPs are slower-acting and may be safer alongside chemo.
3. Surface charge / coating: Positively charged or functionalized SeNPs can preferentially enter tumor cells, whereas neutral or negatively charged forms may distribute more evenly. This affects both selective cytotoxicity and interaction with normal cells.

"30 mg of Na2SeO3.5H2O was added to 90 mL of Milli-Q water. Ascorbic acid (10 mL, 56.7 mM) was added dropwise to sodium selenite solution with vigorous stirring. 10 µL of polysorbate were added after each 2 ml of ascorbic acid. Selenium nanoparticles were formed after the addition of ascorbic acid. This can be visualized by a color change of the reactant solution from clear white to clear red. All solutions were made in a sterile environment by using a sterile cabinet and double distilled water."

SeNPs Cancer relevant pathways
Rank Pathway (direction) Notes (key mechanistic readout) Ref
1 Redox stress / ROS ↑ SeNPs commonly elevate intracellular ROS in cancer cells (often upstream of downstream apoptosis/autophagy signaling). (ref)
2 DNA damage / DDR ↑ ROS-linked DNA damage response reported in anti-angiogenic/cancer models (e.g., DNA damage as part of the cytotoxic cascade). (ref)
3 PI3K → Akt → mTOR ↓ Frequently reported as inhibited (or functionally downshifted), aligning with reduced survival signaling and increased stress-death programs. (ref)
4 Mitochondrial integrity (ΔΨm) ↓ Mitochondrial membrane potential loss is a recurring early event (mitochondria-centered cytotoxicity). (ref)
5 Intrinsic apoptosis (caspase cascade) ↑ Activation of caspase-mediated apoptosis (e.g., caspase-3 activation) commonly follows mitochondrial disruption. (ref)
6 Stress MAPK (p38) ↑ p38 signaling is reported as engaged in ROS-associated SeNP cytotoxicity programs (context: apoptosis signaling). (ref)
7 p53 program ↑ p53 pathway activation/“reactivation” can be amplified in SeNP-based constructs (p53 target genes up; apoptosis up). (ref)
8 Autophagy regulation ↑ (often pro-death or dysregulated) Functionalized SeNPs can drive autophagy as a major action mode in colorectal cancer models (often intertwined with cytotoxicity). (ref)
9 Angiogenesis (VEGF → VEGFR2 → ERK/Akt) ↓ Anti-angiogenic SeNP designs suppress VEGF-driven signaling and tube formation in endothelial/tumor angiogenesis models. (ref)
10 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB activation markers (e.g., p-p65 / p-IκBα) can be reduced by decorated SeNPs in inflammatory signaling models relevant to tumor-promoting inflammation. (ref)
11 Androgen receptor axis (AR transcriptional activity) ↓ Reported in prostate cancer context: AR downregulation/disruption via Akt/Mdm2/AR-linked apoptosis framework. (ref)
12 Ferroptosis ↑ (Nrf2/HO-1/SLC7A11/GCLC/GPX4 ↓) Some decorated SeNPs are explicitly reported to induce ferroptosis, including downregulation of System Xc−/GSH/GPX4-axis proteins and iron-homeostasis shifts. (ref)


Selenium Nanoparticles (SeNPs) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

Overview: Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are being investigated in Alzheimer’s disease primarily as a multifunctional neuroprotective nanoplatform rather than as a conventional nutrient supplement. In AD-oriented studies, SeNPs are used for one or more of the following: (1) direct inhibition of amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation, (2) reduction of oxidative stress, (3) lowering of neuroinflammation, (4) improved blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport via targeting ligands, and/or (5) delivery or stabilization of partner compounds with poor brain availability. Current support is mainly from cell studies and rodent AD models, so the evidence is still experimental/preclinical, not established clinical therapy.

Rank Pathway / Axis Direction in AD Context Proposed Relevance Confidence
1 Aβ aggregation / fibrillation Core and most repeated AD-SeNP mechanism; many formulations are designed to bind Aβ and reduce fibril formation / toxicity. High (preclinical)
2 Oxidative stress / ROS burden SeNPs often act as antioxidant nanoagents and/or improve delivery of antioxidant polyphenols. High (preclinical)
3 Neuroinflammation Reduced inflammatory cytokines and inflammasome-linked signaling are reported in several SeNP formulations. Moderate-High
4 Tau phosphorylation / tau-linked injury Some formulations report reduced tau phosphorylation or downstream tau-associated neurotoxicity. Moderate
5 BBB penetration / brain delivery Frequently engineered with peptides or surface modifications to improve CNS targeting. Moderate-High
6 Neuronal survival / cognition Animal models often report improved memory performance and reduced histologic damage. Moderate
7 Microglial / metabolic dysregulation Newer studies suggest effects on microglia, gut-metabolic inflammation, or glucolipid-associated AD aggravation. Moderate

Mechanistic Summary

  • Aβ-directed action: A major rationale for SeNP use in AD is their reported ability to interact with amyloid species and suppress Aβ aggregation/fibrillation.
  • Redox modulation: SeNPs are commonly positioned as ROS-lowering / antioxidant nanomaterials, which is relevant because oxidative injury is a major contributor to neuronal dysfunction in AD.
  • Anti-inflammatory effects: Several SeNP systems reduce neuroinflammatory signaling, including cytokine-linked and inflammasome-linked injury pathways.
  • Carrier function: SeNPs are often used as a delivery/stabilization platform for poorly bioavailable neuroprotective compounds such as chlorogenic acid, resveratrol, curcumin, EGCG, dihydromyricetin, and metformin-derived combination systems.
  • Targeting function: Surface ligands such as Tet-1, B6, TGN, LPFFD, sialic acid, chondroitin sulfate, or chitosan-related constructs are used to improve BBB transport, Aβ targeting, or stability.

Overall Modulation Direction in AD

  • Aβ aggregation: decreased
  • ROS / oxidative stress: decreased
  • Neuroinflammation: decreased
  • Tau pathology: often decreased (formulation-dependent)
  • Brain delivery / retention of partner compounds: increased
  • Cognitive performance in animal models: improved

Evidence Level

Preclinical. The AD literature for SeNPs is mainly cell culture and rodent-model work. Formulation-specific effects are important; benefits shown for one coated or ligand-targeted SeNP system should not automatically be generalized to all selenium nanoparticles or to ordinary selenium supplementation.

Notes / Interpretation

  • SeNPs in AD are best viewed as a platform technology: anti-amyloid + antioxidant + delivery-enhancing.
  • The strongest and most repeated theme is Aβ aggregation inhibition combined with ROS reduction.
  • Because many studies use specialized coatings/ligands, the active effect may come from the combined nanoformulation, not selenium alone.
  • This should not be treated as equivalent to standard oral selenium supplements.

SeNP-Associated Products / Components Used in AD-Oriented Nanoformulations

Product / Component Role with SeNPs AD-Relevant Purpose Notes
Chlorogenic acid (CGA) Cargo / functional partner Antioxidant, anti-Aβ support, improved activity at lower dose Reported in brain-targeted flower-like selenium nanocluster systems.
Resveratrol Cargo / functionalized partner Anti-Aβ, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory; improved bioavailability One of the most repeatedly reported SeNP combinations in AD models.
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) Stabilizer / functional partner Anti-aggregation and antioxidant support Used with Tet-1-coated SeNPs in an early AD-targeting formulation.
Curcumin Cargo / selenium nanoformulation partner Neuroprotection, antioxidant support, potential anti-amyloid benefit Reported in curcumin-selenium nanoformulations for AD-type models.
Dihydromyricetin (DMY) Cargo Anti-inflammatory / anti-amyloid / NLRP3-linked effects Reported in Tg-CS/DMY@SeNPs systems.
Metformin Cargo Microglia / neuroinflammation / ROS modulation Reported in newer mesoporous nanoselenium delivery systems.
Chitosan (CS) Coating / carrier matrix Stability, delivery, BBB-associated formulation support Often paired with resveratrol or DMY formulations.
Chondroitin sulfate (CS) Surface modifier / carrier component Targeting and neuroprotective formulation enhancement Used in AD mouse models with selenium-based nanosystems.
Tet-1 peptide Targeting ligand Neuronal targeting / BBB-related delivery improvement Commonly used as a targeting coat rather than therapeutic cargo.
B6 peptide BBB-targeting ligand Improved brain penetration Used with SA-modified SeNP systems.
TGN peptide BBB-targeting ligand Improved CNS delivery Used in several AD-focused SeNP designs.
LPFFD peptide Aβ-targeting ligand Direct amyloid-binding / anti-aggregation support Often combined with TGN for dual-function SeNPs.
Sialic acid (SA) Surface modifier Brain-targeting / biomimetic delivery enhancement Used in peptide-assisted BBB-crossing SeNP systems.

Bottom Line

For AD, selenium nanoparticles appear most relevant as a multi-target anti-amyloid / antioxidant nanocarrier platform. Their strongest support is for reducing Aβ aggregation and oxidative-neuroinflammatory injury while improving delivery of partner neuroprotective compounds. At present, this is a research-stage strategy, not a validated clinical AD treatment.



ALAT, ALT, alanine aminotransferase: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type: enzyme
(or ALT) -Used to be called serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT)
Most common in the liver.
An enzyme your body needs to break down proteins into energy.
It plays a crucial role in amino acid metabolism and is often measured in blood tests to assess liver function.
The catabolism of alanine by alanine aminotransferase 2 (ALT2) to pyruvate, was critical for the survival of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells during glucose starvation. After knockdown of ALT2, cells were significantly more sensitive to glucose withdrawal compared to wildtype cells, which were rescued when supplemented with pyruvate.
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) expression is highly elevated in the serum of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
A common example of dietary cancer therapy is the ketogenic diet, providing a fat-rich, low carbohydrate diet. The rationale is to reduce circulating glucose levels and induce ketosis.
Used as a clinical biomarker for Liver function.


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
4453- SeNPs,    Selenium Nanoparticles: Green Synthesis and Biomedical Application
- Review, NA, NA
*toxicity↓, *Bacteria↓, ROS↑, MMP↓, ER Stress↑, P53↑, Apoptosis↑, Casp9↑, DNAdam↑, TumCCA↑, eff↑, Catalase↓, SOD↓, GSH↓, selectivity↓, selectivity↑, PCNA↓, eff↑, *ALAT↓, *AST↓, *ALP↓, *creat↓, *Inflam↓, *toxicity↓, selectivity↑,
4446- SeNPs,    Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Effects of Moringa oleifera-mediated Selenium Nanoparticles in Diabetic Rats.
- in-vivo, Diabetic, NA
*glucose↓, *antiOx↑, *GPx↑, *Catalase↑, *SOD↑, *ROS↓, *cardioP↑, *HDL↑, *LDL↓, *hepatoP↑, *TNF-α↓, *IL6↓, *IL1β↓, *lipid-P↓, *Inflam↓, *ALAT↓, *AST↓, *ALP↓, *Dose↝, *Dose↝,
4445- SeNPs,  DFE,    A comparative study on the hepatoprotective effect of selenium-nanoparticles and dates flesh extract on carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage in albino rats
- in-vivo, LiverDam, NA
*hepatoP↑, *antiOx↑, *AntiCan↑, *BioAv↑, *toxicity↓, *ROS↓, *MDA↓, *ALAT↓, *Albumin↑, *GSH↑, *SOD↑, *RenoP↑,
4443- SeNPs,    Bioogenic selenium and its hepatoprotective activity
- in-vivo, LiverDam, NA
*hepatoP↑, *AST↓, *ALAT↓, *LDH↓, *lipid-P?,
4441- SeNPs,    The Role of Selenium Nanoparticles in the Treatment of Liver Pathologies of Various Natures
- Review, Nor, NA
*ROS↓, *hepatoP↑, *selenoP↑, *ALAT↓, *AST↓, *GSH↑, *GPx↑, *TNF-α↓, *IL6↓, *NF-kB↓, *p65↓, *Dose⇅,
4601- SeNPs,  AgNPs,    Antioxidant and hepatoprotective role of selenium against silver nanoparticles
- in-vivo, Nor, NA
*TAC↑, *CRP↓, *AST↓, *ALAT↓, *toxicity↓, *GSH↑, *SOD↑, *Catalase↑, *hepatoP↑,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 6 of 6

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 6

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

Catalase↓, 1,   GSH↓, 1,   ROS↑, 1,   SOD↓, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics

MMP↓, 1,  

Cell Death

Apoptosis↑, 1,   Casp9↑, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress

ER Stress↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair

DNAdam↑, 1,   P53↑, 1,   PCNA↓, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence

TumCCA↑, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

eff↑, 2,   selectivity↓, 1,   selectivity↑, 2,  
Total Targets: 15

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

antiOx↑, 2,   Catalase↑, 2,   GPx↑, 2,   GSH↑, 3,   HDL↑, 1,   lipid-P?, 1,   lipid-P↓, 1,   MDA↓, 1,   ROS↓, 3,   selenoP↑, 1,   SOD↑, 3,   TAC↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

ALAT↓, 6,   glucose↓, 1,   LDH↓, 1,   LDL↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

CRP↓, 1,   IL1β↓, 1,   IL6↓, 2,   Inflam↓, 2,   NF-kB↓, 1,   p65↓, 1,   TNF-α↓, 2,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

BioAv↑, 1,   Dose⇅, 1,   Dose↝, 2,  

Clinical Biomarkers

ALAT↓, 6,   Albumin↑, 1,   ALP↓, 2,   AST↓, 5,   creat↓, 1,   CRP↓, 1,   IL6↓, 2,   LDH↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

AntiCan↑, 1,   cardioP↑, 1,   hepatoP↑, 5,   RenoP↑, 1,   toxicity↓, 4,  

Infection & Microbiome

Bacteria↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 40

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: ALAT, ALT, alanine aminotransferase
6 Selenium NanoParticles
1 Date Fruit Extract
1 Silver-NanoParticles
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells
Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:391  Target#:554  State#:%  Dir#:1
wNotes=0 sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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