Cell adhesion molecule nectin-4 (Nectin-4)

Cell adhesion molecule nectin-4 is a type I transmembrane immunoglobulin superfamily protein that mediates Ca^2+-independent cell-cell adhesion and participates in the formation of adherens junctions by binding to the cytoskeletal adapter afadin[1][3][5][6][7][8]. In healthy tissue, its expression is confined mainly to embryonic, placental, and some skin compartments, but it is highly upregulated in a wide range of solid tumors, where it promotes cancer cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, angiogenesis, EMT, and apoptosis evasion[1][3][5][6][7]. Nectin-4 is a well-validated therapeutic biomarker and target, with approved and investigational drugs (e.g., enfortumab vedotin, oncolytic viruses) directly leveraging its disease-specific overexpression. Molecularly, Nectin-4 functions both as a homophilic and heterophilic adhesion receptor and serves as a viral entry point for morbilliviruses, highlighting its biological and clinical significance[6][1][3].

Other names

Nectin-4Poliovirus receptor-related 4 (PVRL4)NECTIN4Pvrl4 protein

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs): Target Nectin-4 on tumor cells to deliver cytotoxic payload (e.g., monomethyl auristatin E by enfortumab vedotin) Recombinant viral therapy: selective infection and lysis of Nectin-4 expressing tumor cells by morbilliviruses (e.g., measles virus)