Final answer:
The development of viral receptors has provided evidence that some viruses can induce cancerous behavior in normal cells, leading to advancements in targeted cancer therapies using oncolytic viruses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Role of Viral Receptors in Cancer Research
The development of viral receptors allowed for further proof that some viruses could cause normal cells to behave like cancer cells. Understanding these receptors and their interactions have been crucial in cancer research, especially in the field of oncogenic viruses, those capable of causing cancer. For instance, viruses like the human papillomavirus (HPV) have been linked to cervical cancer, while hepatitis B virus has been associated with liver cancer.
Through the development of targeted therapies using viruses, researchers have been able to harness viruses' cell-killing abilities to attack cancer cells. Clinical trials have seen the emergence of drugs like Reolysin, which utilizes reoviruses targeting cells with an activated Ras-signaling pathway, often found in cancer cells. Furthermore, some viruses, such as herpesvirus and rubeola virus, can be genetically modified to attack tumor cells more aggressively, by binding to specific receptors overexpressed on cancer cells or activating genes within cancer cells.
These modifications further our understanding of the cellular changes that lead to cancer and offer potential methods for treating it. Cancer develops when mutations accumulate in tumor suppressor genes and proto-oncogenes, leading to uncontrolled cell growth and division. Oncogenic viruses can disrupt this process by affecting the expression of genes that inhibit cell growth or by inserting genetic material that encourages unregulated growth.