Calcium Signaling and Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications

Calcium is essential for cellular homeostasis, orchestrating a vast array of physiological processes through tightly regulated storage, flux, and signaling pathways. Dysregulation of calcium homeostasis disrupts these finely tuned processes, leading to aberrant signaling that contributes to cancer progression. Beyond its role in cellular dysfunction, calcium also regulates the metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, enabling them to adapt their metabolism to support tumor growth, survival, and resistance. Despite its fundamental role, direct therapeutic targeting of calcium signaling in cancer remains elusive. This review explores the intricate cross talk between calcium signaling and cancer metabolism, dissecting how distinct calcium dynamics drive adaptive oncogenic adaptations. Deciphering this interplay may reveal therapeutic opportunities that leverage calcium-dependent metabolic vulnerabilities in cancer. Given its broad influence, calcium signaling regulation could serve as a multitargeting strategy for anticancer therapy, broadening the range of potential therapeutic interventions.