Na2SeO3 CAS 10102-18-8 API Powder Sodium Selenite Powder Anticancer

   Product Introduction of Sodium Selenite Powder                                                  

Sodium selenite is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2SeO3. This salt is a colourless solid. The pentahydrate Na2SeO3(H2O)5 is the most common water-soluble selenium compound.

Over 50 years ago, the US President Richard Nixon initiated a “war” against cancer. Although billions of dollars have been spent since that time, and great efforts have been taken in this war, cancer is still present, and except a few forms of cancer (e.g., leukemia in children) morbidity and mortality rates remain at the same level. It should be emphasized that a number of pharmacological compounds have been discovered in recent decades, which unfortunately do not cure cancer in humans, but only prolong their lives, and are very expensive and concurrently beneficial to large pharmaceutical companies [1]. Therefore, the convenient belief that cancer is incurable is prevailing. Despite this pessimistic conclusion, scientists continuously focus on different strategies for treating cancer. While chemical drugs destroy both cancer and healthy cells, it turned out that humans have a very efficient immune system that detects and effectively removes cancer cells [2]. The damage of immune system is one of the potential cause of cancer occurrence. Why a majority of solid tumors are resistant to the treatment of cellular immune system, the so-called immune therapy, remains a mystery. A number of hypotheses have tried to explain this phenomenon, but none of them have drawn a conclusion on how to avoid and overcome this [3]. This article presents the views on these issues based on decades of research on blood proteins and on our personal experience with selenium and its multidirectional anticancer activity.

Sodium selenite is incorrectly considered to be an antioxidant, by contrast to other forms of selenium. In this article, it is argued that this compound plays an important role at the initial phase of carcinogenesis. A less recognized, albeit even more essential role of selenite is in its stimulation of the cellular immune system [4]. In addition, certain studies indicate that selenite may inhibit angiogenesis, and help to repair the damaged DNA fragments. However, the most important function of this compound in the fighting of cancer may be the direct activation of natural killer (NK) cells. Moreover, and quite unexpectedly, sodium selenite was shown to oxidize sulfhydryl groups on the tumor cell membranes to corresponding disulfides making the unavailable to the exchange with other plasma proteins.

   Application                                                                                                            

Sodium selenite is commonly used as a source of selenium in biological research, where selenium is an essential trace element that is normally provided by serum. Selenium is present in selenoproteins such as glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase, which contain the selenium analog of cysteine, selenocysteine. In particular, glutathione peroxidase has a role in detoxification in vivo as a scavenger of peroxides. Sodium selenite is included in various medium supplements for use in cell culture. Sodium selenite has been utilized in studies of cell proliferation and cancer research. It has been used to alter gene expression in HepG2 cells as analyzed by cDNA microarrays. Sodium selenite can inhibit zinc finger protein/DNA interactions. Sodium selenite has been shown to alter mitochondrial membrane potentials and thus potentially contribute to apoptosis.