[Phage display: a new weapon for antiviral research]

New strategies for antiviral research are urgently requested considering the growing number of emerging viruses as well as the viral variants resistant to existing antiviral molecules used for therapy. Phage-display is a powerful technology to select unique molecules with selective affinity for a specific target from libraries of huge diversity. This promising technology to isolate candidates or to improve their affinity for the target has been explored specifically for antiviral drug discovery. Phage display consists of presenting peptides/proteins at the bacteriophage surface by fusing their gene with that of a capsid protein of the phage. Upon library screening, the sequence of the selected peptide/protein is easily deduced from the DNA of the recombinant phage. Phage display allows for the identification of antiviral candidates, using a strategy which consists of an initial screening for target affinity, followed by confirmation of inhibitory potential on viral replication. After summarising previous uses of phage display in antiviral research, this review proposes optimized strategies for combining the significant screening potential of phage display with complementary rational approaches based on understanding interactions in, and structures of, viral complexes. Such combined strategies would maximise the selection of molecules with strong antiviral potential.