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Updated: Jun 27, 2025

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Ion Channels in Cancer: Characterization and Potential Treatment Approaches
Published on: June 16, 2023
ORAI Ca2+ Channels in Cancers and Therapeutic Interventions
Qian Zhang1, Chen Wang1, Lian He1
1Department of Pharmacology, Joint Laboratory of Guangdong-Hong Kong Universities for Vascular Homeostasis and Diseases, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
None:
The ORAI proteins serve as crucial pore-forming subunits of calcium-release-activated calcium (CRAC) channels, pivotal in regulating downstream calcium-related signaling pathways. Dysregulated calcium homeostasis arising from mutations and post-translational modifications in ORAI can lead to immune disorders, myopathy, cardiovascular diseases, and even cancers. Small molecules targeting ORAI present an approach for calcium signaling modulation. Moreover, emerging techniques like optogenetics and optochemistry aim to offer more precise regulation of ORAI. This review focuses on the role of ORAI in cancers, providing a concise overview of their significance in the initiation and progression of cancers. Additionally, it highlights state-of-the-art techniques for ORAI channel modulation, including advanced optical tools, potent pharmacological inhibitors, and antibodies. These novel strategies offer promising avenues for the functional regulation of ORAI in research and may inspire innovative approaches to cancer therapy targeting ORAI.
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