In one person with HIV taking antiretroviral drugs, taking selenium supplements for six months changed the activity of certain genes in specific immune cells, including those involved in antiviral...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
Selenium helps immune cells fight HIV by turning on genes that make young cells stay ready to respond and mature cells better kill infected cells and block the virus. Zinc does something similar but focuses on helping young cells stay calm and go to the right places. Both help the immune system...
Most probable mechanism
Selenium helps immune cells fight viruses by improving how they read their genetic instructions. It boosts genes that help young immune cells stay ready to respond to new threats without activating too soon, and it strengthens mature immune cells so they can better destroy virus-infected cells and block the virus from copying itself. This happens because selenium changes the balance of chemicals in the cells that control which genes turn on or off.
Selenium is absorbed and incorporated into selenoproteins that regulate cellular redox balance and transcriptional activity
In naïve CD8+ T cells, selenium increases expression of CD8A to stabilize T cell receptor signaling, GIMAP5 to enhance cell survival by suppressing mitochondrial apoptosis, and IL32 to prime pro-inflammatory readiness while reducing CD69 and CXCR4 to prevent premature activation and tissue migration
In memory CD8+ T cells, selenium increases expression of APOBEC3G to induce hypermutation and degradation of viral DNA, GZMB and GZMMH to enhance cytotoxic granule-mediated killing of infected cells, and CCL5 to block viral entry through CCR5 competition, while reducing CXCR4, PASK, BTG1, and CCL3 to decrease metabolic stress and exhaustion
Less supported by current evidence, but not ruled out
Zinc helps young immune cells stay in a resting but prepared state by strengthening their ability to recognize new threats and guiding them to lymph nodes for proper activation, while reducing signals that would cause them to act too early.
Zinc enters CD8+ T cells and acts as a signaling ion and cofactor for transcription factors that regulate gene expression
In naïve CD8+ T cells, zinc increases TRAC expression to improve T cell receptor diversity and antigen recognition, and CCR7 expression to promote homing to lymph nodes, while reducing NKG7, GZMB, and CCL5 to suppress premature cytotoxic and inflammatory activity
Zinc upregulates PIK3IP1 to inhibit PI3K/Akt signaling, maintaining metabolic quiescence and preventing premature activation
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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