Mechanisms of selenium-mediated protection from photocarcinogenesis and cell death are not solely p53-dependent

Recent studies published in Oncogene and Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA ascribe a role for selenium, acting through wild type p53, in protecting skin cells in culture from ultraviolet radiation-induced death. While selenium clearly protects cells against ultraviolet radiation-induced death, data that we present and discuss in this letter shows that wild type p53 is not required for such protection. Moreover the non-physiologically high levels of selenium used in some studies leads us to question the relevance of such effects for selenium-induced photoprotection.