Abstract: A method of increasing the uptake of an adenoviral agent by a cell, which method comprises contacting the cell with a histone deacetylase inhibitor in an amount sufficient to increase the expression of coxsackie-adenovirus receptors and/or &agr;v integrins on the surface of the cell and subsequently containing the cell with the adenoviral agent, whereupon the uptake of the adenoviral agent by the cell is increased relative to an otherwise identical cell that has not been contacted with a histone deacetylase inhibitor; and a method or preferentially increasing the uptake or an adenoviral agent by a cancerous cell over a normal cell, which method comprises contacting a collection of cells comprising normal cells and a cancerous cell with a histone deacetylase inhibitor i an amount sufficient to increase preferentially the expression of CAR and/or &agr;, integrin on the surface of the cancerous cell over the normal cells and subsequently contacting the collection of cells with the adenoviral agent, whereupon the