Cancer is caused by excessive cell proliferation and a propensity to avoid cell death, while the spread of cancer is facilitated by enhanced cellular migration, invasion, and vascularization. Cytosolic Ca2+ is central to each of these important processes, yet to date, there are no cancer drugs currently being used clinically, and very few undergoing clinical trials, that target the Ca2+ signalling machinery. The aim of this review is to highlight some of the emerging evidence that targeting key components of the Ca2+ signalling machinery represents a novel and relatively untapped therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancer.
Keywords: CRAC; IP3R; Orai; PMCA; SERCA; SPCA; STIM; TRP channels; calcium signalling; cancer; cancer hallmarks; cell death; cell migration; cell proliferation; invasion; metastasis.