Discovery of Antivirals Using Phage Display.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Immunology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Viral infections, including COVID-19, pose significant global health threats, exacerbated by increased human mobility and human-animal interactions.
• Antiviral agents are critical for managing existing and emerging viral diseases.
• Peptide and protein-based therapeutics, particularly antibodies, are gaining prominence in the drug market.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review common phage display libraries for antiviral discovery.
• To highlight methods for enhancing the potency of antiviral peptides and antibody fragments.
• To discuss the clinical progress of phage display-derived antiviral drugs.

Main Methods:

• Phage display technology for screening and selection of peptides and antibody fragments.
• Review of existing literature on phage display libraries and antiviral drug development.
• Analysis of approaches to improve antiviral efficacy of selected molecules.

Main Results:

• Identification of widely used phage display libraries for antiviral screening.
• Summary of techniques to enhance the potency of antiviral peptides and antibody fragments.
• Overview of the current clinical landscape for phage display-derived antivirals.

Conclusions:

• Phage display is a powerful and established tool for identifying novel antiviral therapeutics.
• Optimization strategies can significantly improve the efficacy of phage display-derived antiviral agents.
• The field shows promise for future antiviral drug development with several candidates in or nearing clinical application.