{
  "abstract": "Viral entry is the first obligatory step of productive infection and a rational point for host-directed antiviral intervention. This structured narrative review synthesizes evidence from database searches and citation tracking performed up to 18 June 2026. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) can internalize virus-receptor complexes and deliver them to endosomal compartments that support penetration, fusion, capsid remodeling, uncoating or genome release. However, CME should be interpreted as a series of experimentally separable checkpoints rather than as a single pathway label. Viral use of CME varies with strain, receptor and cofactor availability, host-cell type, membrane composition, protease environment, inoculum size and synchronization conditions. Strict CME-dependent entry is assigned only when direct perturbation of core or proximal CME machinery, supported by rescue or an orthogonal approach, converges with stage-resolved evidence of productive virion progression through clathrin/AP-2-positive coated pits or vesicles and an early functional entry readout in a defined virus-receptor-cell context. Pharmacological findings are treated as supportive rather than universally mandatory when stronger direct mechanistic evidence is available. The review integrates receptor organization, cargo-specific adaptor recruitment, membrane lipids, particle geometry, actin dynamics and virus-induced remodeling with a transparent evidence framework that distinguishes CME-associated, CME-involved and CME-dependent entry. It further separates mechanistic probes from host-directed strategies targeting membrane sphingolipids, TPC2-dependent endolysosomal trafficking, NPC1/cholesterol homeostasis, PIKfyve and kinase-regulated trafficking. Translational priorities are framed as context-dependent opportunities requiring target engagement, disease-relevant models and in vivo validation rather than as validated consequences of global CME blockade.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of The First Clinical Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China.",
    "Department of AIDS Clinical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China.",
    "School of Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China."
  ],
  "article_type": "review article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Qinying Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Liran Xu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yangang Sun"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yuting Xia"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jingyu Yue"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/878wsqkjngyph.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fcimb.2026.1929024",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13678436",
  "id": "878wsqkjngyph",
  "issns": [
    "2235-2988"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898937",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1307|Cellular transport and secretion"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220394361",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13678436?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13678436",
  "pmid": "42898937",
  "published": "2026-10-05",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/878wsqkjngyph.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:37Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42898937",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898937"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1307|Cellular transport and secretion",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Reframing clathrin-mediated viral entry: evidence standards, context dependence and host-directed vulnerabilities.",
  "title_text": "Reframing clathrin-mediated viral entry: evidence standards, context dependence and host-directed vulnerabilities.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:37Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/878wsqkjngyph",
  "venue": "Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology",
  "versions": []
}