High dose selenium acts as a cytotoxic agent, with potential applications in cancer treatment. However, clinical trials have failed to show any chemotherapeutic value of selenium at safe and tolerated doses (<90 μg/day). To enable the successful exploitation of selenium for cancer treatment, we evaluated inorganic selenium nanoparticles (SeNP), and found them effective in inhibiting ovarian cancer cell growth. In both SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cell types SeNP treatment resulted in significant cytotoxicity. The two cell types displayed contrasting nanomechanical responses to SeNPs, with decreased surface roughness and membrane stiffness, characteristics of OVCAR-3 cell death. In SKOV-3, cell membrane surface roughness and stiffness increased, both properties associated with decreased metastatic potential. The beneficial effects of SeNPs on ovarian cancer cell death appear cell type dependent, and due to their low in vivo toxicity offer an exciting opportunity for future cancer treatment.

高剂量硒充当细胞毒性剂，在癌症治疗中具有潜在的应用。但是，临床试验未能显示出安全和可耐受剂量（<90μg/天）下硒的任何化学治疗价值。为了使硒成功地用于癌症治疗，我们评估了无机硒纳米颗粒（SeNP），发现它们有效抑制卵巢癌细胞的生长。在SKOV-3和OVCAR-3卵巢癌细胞中，SeNP处理均导致明显的细胞毒性。两种细胞类型显示出对SeNPs的不同的纳米力学响应，具有降低的表面粗糙度和膜硬度，以及OVCAR-3细胞死亡的特征。在SKOV-3中，细胞膜表面粗糙度和刚度增加，这两种性质均与转移电位降低有关。体内毒性为将来的癌症治疗提供了令人兴奋的机会。