* Collaborative research project focuses on using selenium to kill ovarian cancer cells
* Study led by researchers at the University of Adelaide and involving scientists in Germany and the US
* Findings suggest selenium could target cancer stem cells and boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy
A team of international researchers led by the University of Adelaide in Australia is investigating the potential of selenium as a new weapon in the fight against ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of death from gynecological cancer and is notoriously hard to detect in its early stages. Selenium is a trace element that has been found to offer protection against several chronic diseases and some forms of cancer.
This collaborative study involving scientists in Germany and the US aims to determine how selenium exerts its anti-cancer effects and explore its potential as a treatment option for ovarian cancer.
The research team is led by Dr. Elizabeth New and Dr. Benjamin Fry from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute. They are collaborating with researchers at the University of Freiburg in Germany and the Oregon State University in the US.
The team has focused their attention on the ability of selenium to selectively kill ovarian cancer stem cells, which are the cells that drive the growth and metastasis of these tumors. These cells are notoriously resistant to conventional cancer therapies.
The researchers hypothesized that selenium's ability to increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are molecules that can damage cells, could lead to the death of ovarian cancer stem cells.
To test this hypothesis, the researchers exposed ovarian cancer cells to different concentrations of selenium. They found that selenium caused the cells to produce higher levels of ROS and ultimately resulted in their death.
This exciting discovery suggests that selenium could have the power to target ovarian cancer stem cells, which would be a significant breakthrough in the treatment of this aggressive disease.
Furthermore, the researchers also found that selenium could improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy, offering a potential strategy to overcome drug resistance in ovarian cancer.
Dr. New said: "This collaborative project has provided us with important insights into the mechanisms of action of selenium and its potential for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Our findings represent a significant step forward in our understanding of how selenium can combat this disease and could pave the way for the development of new therapeutic approaches."
The study is published in the journal 'Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences.'
