How a selenium-rich amino acid can save cells from rusting to death
Selenomethionine as a dual-mechanism ferroptosis inhibitor: selenium-supply-driven GPX4 biosynthesis beyond transsulfuration and reductive-capacity-mediated ROS scavenging independent of GPX4 activity
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Selenomethionine still prevents ferroptosis in cells where GPX4 has been completely deleted via CRISPR.
GPX4 was considered the *only* essential ferroptosis suppressor; this study proves a molecule can bypass it entirely, which no prior study had shown.
Practical Takeaways
Consider taking selenomethionine supplements if undergoing cisplatin chemotherapy—consult your oncologist first.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Selenomethionine still prevents ferroptosis in cells where GPX4 has been completely deleted via CRISPR.
GPX4 was considered the *only* essential ferroptosis suppressor; this study proves a molecule can bypass it entirely, which no prior study had shown.
Practical Takeaways
Consider taking selenomethionine supplements if undergoing cisplatin chemotherapy—consult your oncologist first.
Publication
Journal
Cell Death & Disease
Year
2026
Authors
Chaoyi Xia, Xue Sun, Junyi Shao, Jingshu Min, Chong Wei, Feiyang Zhao, Caiyun Fu, Qiang Zhang
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Claims (6)
Selenium is a nutrient necessary for the body to produce glutathione, a molecule that helps lower levels of oxidative stress and inflammation in cells.
In mice with kidney injury caused by cisplatin, taking selenomethionine by mouth lowers levels of biomarkers associated with kidney damage and improves tissue appearance under a microscope, which is linked to higher levels of the enzyme GPX4 in the kidneys.
Selenomethionine raises the levels of the GPX4 protein in specific human cells grown in the lab when those cells are stressed by lack of cystine or exposure to RSL3, and this effect occurs even when two key enzymes in the transsulfuration pathway are blocked.
Selenomethionine, a form of selenium, can still prevent cell damage and death in human cells even when the GPX4 protein is completely removed, suggesting it blocks a type of cell death called ferroptosis through a different pathway than previously thought.
Selenomethionine decreases markers of oxidative damage and cell death in human cancer cells under conditions that trigger ferroptosis, such as exposure to RSL3 or lack of cystine.