Targeting Stim and Orai Proteins as an Alternative Approach in Anticancer Therapy

Title:Targeting Stim and Orai Proteins as an Alternative Approach in Anticancer Therapy

Volume: 23 Issue: 30

Author(s): Francesco Moccia, Estella Zuccolo, Valentina Poletto, Ilaria Turin, Germano Guerra, Paolo Pedrazzoli, Vittorio Rosti, Camillo Porta and Daniela Montagna

Affiliation:

Keywords: Stim, Orai, store-operated Ca²⁺ entry, Ca²⁺ release-activated Ca²⁺ current, cancer, metastasis, angiogenesis, proliferation, apoptosis.

Abstract: An increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration plays a key role in the establishment of many cancer hallmarks, including aberrant proliferation, migration, invasion, resistance to apoptosis and angiogenesis. The dysregulation of Ca²⁺ entry is one of the most subtle mechanisms by which cancer cells overwhelm their normal counterparts and gain the adaptive advantages that result in tumour growth, vascularisation and dissemination throughout the organism. Both constitutive and agonist-induced Ca²⁺ influx may be mediated by store-dependent as well as store-independent Ca²⁺ entry routes. A growing body of evidences have shown that different isoforms of Stromal Interaction Molecules (Stim1) and Orai proteins, i.e. Stim1, Stim2, Orai1 and Orai3, underlie both pathways in cancer cells. The alteration in either the expression or the activity of Stim and Orai proteins has been linked to the onset and maintenance of tumour phenotype in many solid malignancies, including prostate, breast, kidney, esophageal, skin, brain, colorectal, lung and liver cancers. Herein, we survey the existing data in support of Stim and Orai involvement in tumourigenesis and provide the rationale to target them in cancer patients. Besides, we summarize the most recent advances in the identification of novel pharmacological tools that could be successfully used in clinical therapy.

Cite this article as:

Moccia Francesco, Zuccolo Estella, Poletto Valentina, Turin Ilaria, Guerra Germano, Pedrazzoli Paolo, Rosti Vittorio, Porta Camillo and Montagna Daniela, Targeting Stim and Orai Proteins as an Alternative Approach in Anticancer Therapy, Current Medicinal Chemistry 2016; 23 (30) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0929867323666160607111220