Nutritional Roles of Selenium in Cellular and Mouse Aging

The study explored the role of selenium (Se) and selenoprotein H (SelH) in cellular aging and genome maintenance, particularly under oxidative stress. SelH was found to protect against cellular senescence through pathways involving ATM and p53. In experiments with MRC-5 human fibroblasts and HeLa cells, SelH knockdown led to increased sensitivity to oxidative stress, which could be mitigated by ATM inhibitors or glutathione analogues. Additionally, mice with Se deficiency exhibited aging phenotypes such as alopecia and bone abnormalities, suggesting Se's role in aging. The study proposed that Se deficiency in mice with short telomeres could model human aging, revealing Se's potential in delaying health span deterioration. The research also identified microRNAs as potential biomarkers for aging and Se deficiency.