The Glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPX2) is a selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase coded by the GPX2 gene on 14q24.1. GPX2 is one out of eight known glutathione peroxidases (Gpx1-8) in humans. GPX2 has a major role in removing potentially harming reactive oxygen species (ROS) from cells by catalyzing the reduction process of hydrogen peroxide to water. GPX2 expression is restricted to few tissues and it is preferentially expressed in the gut where it makes up for about 50% of the total GPx activity. Studies in mice indicate that GPX2 mRNA levels respond to changes in the luminal microflora, suggesting a role of the ileal glutathione peroxidases in preventing inflammation in the GI tract. Mice that lack both GPX1 and GPX2 develop ileocolitis. GPX2 may also be involved in the control of apoptosis. GPX2 has a yet insufficiently understood role in cancer. Its level of expression was described to be prognostic in several cancer types including bladder, nasopharyngeal and prostate cancer. In hepatocellular carcinomas, GPX2 levels markedly affected the lenvatinib-induced ROS levels and apoptosis in HCC cells and also predicted response to lenvatinib therapy in clinical patients (36725188).