Viral Receptors as Host–Pathogen Control Nodes Linking Entry, Signalling, and System-Level Pathogenesis

Clicks: 1
ID: 325795
2026
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal

Ranked #98 of 99 articles by views in FEMS microbiology reviews

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Abstract
Abstract Viral receptors have traditionally been viewed as docking sites that mediate viral attachment and entry. However, this perspective no longer captures the full complexity of receptor function during infection. Receptor engagement links viral binding to intracellular trafficking, signal transduction, barrier integrity, and ultimately disease outcome. Rather than acting solely as entry determinants, receptors influence endocytic routing, cellular permissiveness, tissue tropism, immune responses, and systemic dissemination. A functional distinction between attachment factors, entry receptors, co-receptors or accessory factors, and receptor-like immune sensors is essential for accurate mechanistic interpretation and translational applications. This review examines the events that follow receptor engagement, including intracellular routing, signalling, regulation of receptor availability, and host determinants of susceptibility. Particular emphasis is placed on the concept of receptor landscapes, defined as dynamic and spatially organised receptor topologies across epithelial and endothelial barriers that are shaped by development, ageing, inflammation, and comorbidities. In this view, systemic disease is viewed as the consequence of failures in receptor-defined barriers and interconnected feedback circuits across organs. Finally, we discuss the implications of this perspective for host-directed therapies, receptor decoys, and biomarker development. Reframing receptors as regulatory hubs helps explain differences in viral tropism and disease severity and highlights new opportunities for host-targeted intervention.
Reference Key
openalex_W7203877336 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Salvatore Furnari, Guido Attilio Condorelli, Giorgio Gallinella, Virginia Fuochi, Pio Maria Furneri
Journal FEMS microbiology reviews
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/femsre/fuag043
URL
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.