Tumor cell surface proteins for viral entry

"Tumor cell surface proteins for viral entry" is not a single, well-defined protein or gene but a collective term for various membrane proteins (such as receptors and co-receptors) that are overexpressed, dysregulated, or uniquely presented on tumor cells and serve as the initial binding and entry points for viruses, including naturally occurring tumor viruses (e.g., HPV, EBV, HTLV-1) and engineered oncolytic viruses[2][3][4][1]. These molecules are involved in physiological roles such as cell adhesion, signaling, and immune modulation, but their overexpression or altered glycosylation in tumor cells enables selective viral targeting[2][3][6]. Notable examples include the coxsackie-adenovirus receptor (CAR), CD46, herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM), MXRA8, and heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG)[2][3][6]. Because this is a category rather than a unique target, it is not possible to provide a single canonical name, structure, or drug interaction profile—individual entries must be reviewed for each specific protein. Key context: This entry is not a single approved target name, but an umbrella description. Each virus often uses a different set of receptors/co-receptors, some of which are uniquely upregulated or modified in tumors[2][3][4][6]. Therapeutic strategies exploit tumor-enriched viral entry receptors for selective virotherapy and may use engineered viruses with modified tropism[2][4]. If structured data is required, each receptor should be annotated individually (e.g., "Coxsackie-adenovirus receptor", "CD46", etc.), not collectively under this generic label.

Other names

Viral entry receptors on tumor cellsTumor-associated viral entry proteinsTumor cell viral receptors

Facilitate attachment and entry of viruses (including oncolytic viruses and tumor viruses) into tumor cells by binding viral surface proteins[2][3]. Serve as molecular gates for selective viral infection of cancer cells; this is exploited in oncolytic virotherapy[2][4].