Selenium nanoparticles enhance the chemotherapeutic efficacy of pemetrexed against non-small cell lung cancer

Selenium (Se) plays an important role in the development and treatment of lung cancer, yet its specific mechanisms remain elusive. Lower Se level in serum was noted in lung cancer patients compared to normal controls. Therefore, developing effective therapeutic adjuvants containing Se might benefit the treatment of lung cancer patients. This study aimed to investigate the association between Se and the chemotherapeutic efficacy of lung cancer. Lentinan-modified selenium nanoparticles (LET-SeNPs) were created to develop and verify the effectiveness of Se containing adjuvant applied with pemetrexed on lung cancer cells. A synergistic effect was observed between LET-SeNPs and pemetrexed in vitro. The combination of LET-SeNPs and pemetrexed could induce reactive oxygen species overproduction, mitochondrial dysfunction and DNA damage, ultimately leading to cancer cell apoptosis. It is implied that LET-SeNPs might be a promising sensitizer to pemetrexed chemotherapy and could potentially enhance chemotherapy efficiency in non-small cell lung cancer.