The Role of Selenium and Manganese in the Formation, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cervical, Endometrial and Ovarian Cancer

Sep 28, 2026

Selenium and manganese are essential micronutrients that support cell metabolism by forming enzyme systems and regulating enzymatic activity. Disrupted homeostasis of these elements contributes to disease development and carcinogenesis through increased oxidative stress and weakened antioxidant functions. The review explains selenium’s roles in immune-endocrine, metabolic, and cellular balance, and manganese’s roles in development, digestion, reproduction, defense, energy production, immune regulation, and neuronal activity. It further links these micronutrients to tumor growth, metastasis potential, microenvironment remodeling, diagnostic biomarkers, and selenium/manganese-containing compounds for treating reproductive organ cancers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

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Abstract

1. Introduction

2. Selenium

Review The Role of Selenium and Manganese in the Formation, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cervical, Endometrial and Ovarian Cancer Anna Golara 1, *, Mateusz Kozłowski 1, Paweł Guzik 2, Sebastian Kwiatkowski 3 and Aneta Cymbaluk-Płoska 1, * Citation: Golara, A.; Kozłowski, M.; Guzik, P.; Kwiatkowski, S.; Cymbaluk-Płoska, A. The Role of Selenium and Manganese in the Formation, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cervical, Endometrial and Ovarian Cancer. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 10887. [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)ijms241310887 Academic Editors: Letteria Minutoli and Maria Caffo Received: 30 May 2023 Revised: 22 June 2023 Accepted: 27 June 2023 Published: 29 June 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Department of Reconstructive Surgery and Gynecological Oncology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Al. Powsta ´ncâw Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland; [mtkoozo@gmail.com](mtkoozo@gmail.com) [2](2 Clinical Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics)[ Clinical Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics](2 Clinical Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics), [City Hospital](City Hospital), [35-241 Rzesz](35-241 Rzesz)âw, Poland; [pawelguzik@gmail.com](pawelguzik@gmail.com) 3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Al. Powsta ´ncâw Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland; [kwiatkowskiseba@gmail.com](kwiatkowskiseba@gmail.com) * Correspondence: [anka39143@gmail.com](anka39143@gmail.com) (A.G.); [aneta.cymbaluk@gmail.com](aneta.cymbaluk@gmail.com) (A.C.-P.) Abstract: Selenium (Se) and manganese (Mn) are essential micronutrients that are important elements of cell metabolism. They are involved in the composition of enzyme systems and regulate enzyme activity. Disturbances in the homeostasis of these micronutrients affect the development of many diseases and carcinogenesis, which can be linked to increased levels of oxidative stress and impaired antioxidant properties of many enzymes. Selenium has a very important function in maintaining immune-endocrine, metabolic and cellular homeostasis. Manganese, on the other hand, is important in development, digestion, reproduction, antioxidant defense, energy production, immune response and regulation of neuronal activity. We review the role of selenium and manganese and their effects on tumor growth, metastasis potential and remodeling of the microenvironment. We also describe their role as potential biomarkers in the diagnosis and the potential for the use of Se-and Mn-containing compounds in composition for the treatment of cancer of the reproductive organs. Keywords: selenium; manganese; gynaecological; nanoparticles; endometrial cancer; ovarian cancer; cervical cancer 1. Introduction Selenium (Se) and manganese (Mn) are micronutrients that are involved in cellular metabolism, act in enzyme systems and regulate enzyme activity. In biological systems, these elements are mostly associated with proteins [1,2] . Deﬁciency of any of them leads to undesirable pathological conditions, which can be prevented or reversed by appropriate supplementation. In sufﬁciently nourished individuals, supplementation should be carefully controlled because of its toxic effects when present in quantities above physiological standards [3,4] . Micronutrient levels depend on environmental factors such as air pollution, diet and lifestyle habits such as smoking and caffeine consumption. Mn cations and Seanions have unpaired electrons that enable them to participate in redox reactions. Most of the biological effects, mainly toxic, of these elements can be explained by the

FAQs

What biological functions do selenium and manganese perform according to the review?

Selenium and manganese act as micronutrients involved in cellular metabolism, enzyme system composition, and enzyme activity regulation. Selenium supports immune-endocrine, metabolic, and cellular homeostasis, while manganese supports development, digestion, reproduction, antioxidant defense, energy production, immune response, and neuronal activity regulation.

How do selenium and manganese imbalances relate to cancer development?

Disturbances in micronutrient homeostasis are linked to oxidative stress and impaired antioxidant properties of enzymes, affecting carcinogenesis. The review also discusses their effects on tumor growth and metastasis potential and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment.

What diagnostic and treatment roles do selenium and manganese have in reproductive organ cancers?

The review describes selenium and manganese as potential biomarkers for diagnosis. It also outlines the potential use of selenium- and manganese-containing compounds in treatment strategies for cancers of reproductive organs.

Sep 28, 2026

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