Selenium is an essential trace element that confers tolerance to toxicity arising through exposure to heavy metals or other reactive xenobiotics. Selenium exhibits potent anticarcinogenic properties, and deficiency of selenium may cause certain neurologic diseases. Both effects are attributed to selenium-binding proteins. Selenium binding protein 1 is down-regulated in lung adenocarcinoma, colorectal cander and ovarian cancer. It is two-fold upregulated in the brains of patients suffering from schizophrenia, and is therefore a biomarker for this disease.
