Selenium: biochemical role and the importance of balance in the human body

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The aim of this review is to systematize current knowledge on the role of selenium in biochemical processes and in the development of diseases associated with its deficiency or excess.

Material and methods. A comprehensive search and analysis of publications from 2005 to 2025 were conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, and Elsevier databases. Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element important for human health due to its involvement in the formation of selenoproteins, which perform antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and regulatory functions. Many selenoproteins play a key antioxidant role, protecting cells from reactive oxygen species and maintaining redox homeostasis. This is essential for a number of biological processes, including intracellular signal transduction and modulation, cell proliferation, immune system function, cellular aging, ferroptosis, reduction of DNA damage and preservation of telomere length and others. An important function of certain selenoproteins is their indirect participation in the synthesis of thyroid hormones and the regulation of their activity in tissues. Thyroid hormones, in turn, control metabolic processes in virtually all tissues of the body.

Results. This review summarizes contemporary insights into the biochemical functions of selenium, its importance for the immune, endocrine, reproductive, cardiovascular, and nervous systems, as well as the consequences of its deficiency or excess in the body. Systematic analysis of the literature confirms that selenium deficiency is associated with increased susceptibility to viral infections (including COVID-19), thyroid dysfunction, an elevated risk of developing cardiometabolic, neurodegenerative, and oncological diseases, male infertility, adverse pregnancy outcomes, a higher risk of congenital hypothyroidism, and impaired growth and development in children. An additional important aspect is the potential role of selenium in the detoxification of heavy metals, endotoxins, and mycotoxins, and increasing the effectiveness of certain antitumor drugs. However, excessive intake of selenium increases the risk of its toxic effects.

Conclusion: The collected and analyzed data emphasize that selenium is an essential trace element for maintaining “metabolic health” and preventing various diseases. Both selenium deficiency and excess can have detrimental effects on human health, highlighting the need for more thorough investigation of this issue. Future studies evaluating selenium concentrations and the levels of its specific transporters in blood may facilitate the development of personalized approaches to the prediction, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases associated with selenium imbalance.

作者简介

Tatiana Deeva

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University)

编辑信件的主要联系方式.
Email: deeva_t_a@staff.sechenov.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3126-141X

Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Biological Chemistry of the Institute of Digital Biodesign and Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

俄罗斯联邦, Trubetskaya Street, 8, build. 2, Moscow, 119048

Eduard Tyagunov

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University)

Email: tyagunov_e_g@student.sechenov.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0004-4055-9922

2nd Year Student of the Specialty “Health Modeling” of the Faculty of Medicine

俄罗斯联邦, Trubetskaya Street, 8, build. 2, Moscow, 119048

Oksana Zolnikova

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University)

Email: zolnikova_o_yu@staff.sechenov.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6701-789X

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases, Gastroenterology and Hepatology of the N.V. Sklifosovsky Institute of Clinical Medicine

俄罗斯联邦, Trubetskaya Street, 8, build. 2, Moscow, 119048

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