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Zinc is an essential mineral that supports immune function, wound healing, skin health, and more.
Zinc is an essential cofactor for many enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), which scavenges free radicals and limits oxidative stress—a known contributor to DNA damage and cancer initiation.
Maintaining adequate zinc status (typically, serum concentrations within a normal reference range of roughly 70–120 µg/dL) is important for overall health, while both deficiency and excessive intake may have implications for cancer risk.
Some zinc-dependent enzymes, such as histone deacetylases (HDACs) or components of chromatin remodeling complexes, rely on zinc for their function.
Zinc can modulate several intracellular signaling cascades. For example, zinc ions may affect the activity of protein kinases and phosphatases.
Evidence suggests that alterations in zinc levels can impact growth factor signaling pathways, which are vital in controlling cell growth and survival and are often dysregulated in cancer.
Zinc is involved in the regulation of cell cycle progression and apoptosis (programmed cell death). It can modulate the activity of several transcription factors (e.g., p53) that regulate growth arrest and apoptosis in response to cellular stress.