The Ca ²⁺ channel ORAI1 is a regulator of oral cancer growth and nociceptive pain

Abstract

Oral cancer causes pain associated with cancer progression. We report here that the function of the Ca²⁺ channel ORAI1 is an important regulator of oral cancer pain. <i>ORAI1</i> was highly expressed in tumor samples from patients with oral cancer, and ORAI1 activation caused sustained Ca²⁺ influx in human oral cancer cells. RNA-seq analysis showed that ORAI1 regulated many genes encoding oral cancer markers such as metalloproteases (MMPs) and pain modulators. Compared with control cells, oral cancer cells lacking <i>ORAI1</i> formed smaller tumors that elicited decreased allodynia when inoculated into mouse paws. Exposure of trigeminal ganglia neurons to MMP1 evoked an increase in action potentials. These data demonstrate an important role of ORAI1 in oral cancer progression and pain, potentially by controlling MMP1 abundance.