The Role of Selenium Nanoparticles in the Treatment of Liver Pathologies of Various Natures

Abstract

The liver is the body’s largest gland, and regulates a wide variety of physiological processes. The work of the liver can be disrupted in a variety of pathologies, the number of which is several hundred. It is extremely important to monitor the health of the liver and develop approaches to combat liver diseases. In recent decades, nanomedicine has become increasingly popular in the treatment of various liver pathologies, in which nanosized biomaterials, which are inorganic, polymeric, liposomal, albumin, and other nanoparticles, play an important role. Given the need to develop environmentally safe, inexpensive, simple, and high-performance biomedical agents for theragnostic purposes and showing few side effects, special attention is being paid to nanoparticles based on the important trace element selenium (Se). It is known that the metabolism of the microelement Se occurs in the liver, and its deficiency leads to the development of several serious diseases in this organ. In addition, the liver is the depot for most selenoproteins, which can reduce oxidative stress, inhibit tumor growth, and prevent other liver damage. This review is devoted to the description of the results of recent years, revealing the important role of selenium nanoparticles in the therapy and diagnosis of several liver pathologies, depending on the dose and physicochemical properties. The possibilities of selenium nanoparticles in the treatment of liver diseases, disclosed in the review, will not only reveal the advantages of their hepatoprotective properties but also significantly supplement the data on the role of the trace element selenium in the regulation of these diseases.

A Review of the Antibacterial, Fungicidal and Antiviral Properties of Selenium Nanoparticles

“…Hyaluronic acid (A549 cells), ATP (depletion of mitochondrial membrane potential and oxidative stress) and other agents were also described [69,70]. The addition of anticancer agents (sorafenib) to SeNPs significantly increases the activity of others against aggressive cancer lines (increased calcium entry, ER stress and apoptosis of HepG2, gliablastoma A-172) [49,71,72]. Oridoni/SeNP composites have anticancer activity and reduce the viability of RAW264.7, KYSE-150 and EC970 cancer cells by ~50% [73].…”

Insights into Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Thalassemia: From Pathophysiology to Novel Therapies

“…Notably, Se, which is an important trace element metabolized in liver, can reduce oxidative stress, inhibit tumor growth, and prevent liver damage. The literature has shown that an increase in serum Se leads to an increase in the expression of selenoprotein P, and the inhibition of proinflammatory factors and its content in liver cancer cells is significantly reduced compared to healthy ones [ 103 ]. Selenium nanoparticles have shown good results in a variety of liver pathologies (inflammation, infectious, and oncological diseases) suggesting their hepatoprotective and anticancer effects both in vitro on liver cell culture and in vivo on animal models [ 103 ].…”

Antifibrotic Effect of Selenium-Containing Nanoparticles on a Model of TAA-Induced Liver Fibrosis

“…In recent decades, selenium nanoparticles and their various modifications have become increasingly popular as an effective drug carrier [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Very often, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are used in combination therapy, which increases the effectiveness of treatment, and also as carriers of chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin [20,21], 5-fluorouracil [22], doxorubicin [23], and irinotecan [24], which demonstrates the presence of a synergistic effect between anticancer drugs and Se.…”