Recombinant astrovirus strains carrying mink-derived capsid segments demonstrate expanded organotropism, leveraging upregulated platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα) to infect human neural progenitor cells, resulting in extra-intestinal manifestations such as encephalitis (El-Heneidy et al., 2023). The gene discussed is PDGFRA; the disease is viral encephalitis.