Ca 2+ release-activated Ca 2+ (CRAC) channels are intimately linked with health and disease. The gene encoding the CRAC channel, ORAI1, was discovered in part by genetic analysis of patients with abolished CRAC channel function. And patients with autosomal recessive loss-of-function (LOF) mutations in ORAI1 and its activator stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) that abolish CRAC channel function and store-operated Ca 2+ entry (SOCE) define essential functions of CRAC channels in health and disease. Conversely, gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in ORAI1 and STIM1 are associated with tubular aggregate myopathy (TAM) and Stormorken syndrome due to constitutive CRAC channel activation. In addition, genetically engineered animal models of ORAI and STIM function have provided important insights into the physiological and pathophysiological roles of CRAC channels in cell types and organs beyond those affected in human patients. The picture emerging from this body of work shows CRAC channels as important regulators of cell function in many tissues, and as potential drug targets for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. CRAC channels mediate Ca 2+ influx in many cell types. They are traditionally viewed as being especially important for the function of electrically non-excitable cells including, but not limited to, immune cells. Ca 2+ influx mediated by CRAC channels is called storeoperated Ca 2+ entry, or SOCE, because it is regulated by the filling state of intracellular (mainly ER) Ca 2+ stores [1]. The engagement of cell surface receptors including G protein coupled receptors (GPCR) and immunoreceptors such as T cell, B cell and Fc receptors results in the production of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3) that binds to the IP 3 receptor (IP 3 R) located in the membrane of the ER, which is a Ca 2+ permeable ion channel and mediates the release of Ca 2+ from the ER. This release has two consequences: an increase in the cytoplasmic Ca 2+ concentration and a decrease in the Ca 2+ concentration of the ER. The latter results in the dissociation of Ca 2+ in the ER from STIM proteins, conformational changes of STIM1 and STIM2 and their translocation to ER-plasma membrane junctions. In these junctions, STIM proteins cluster and recruit ORAI proteins to form microdomains of localized Ca 2+ influx. ORAI1, and its closely related homologues ORAI2 and ORAI3, is a Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Competing Interests. S.F. is a scientific cofounder of Calcimedica.