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World J Gastroenterol. Sep 7, 2014; 20(33): 11650-11670
Published online Sep 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i33.11650
Phage display creates innovative applications to combat hepatitis B virus
Wen Siang Tan, Kok Lian Ho
Wen Siang Tan, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Kok Lian Ho, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Author contributions: Tan WS reviewed the literature and wrote the paper; Ho KL wrote part of the paper and revised the content.
Correspondence to: Wen Siang Tan, PhD, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. wstan@upm.edu.my
Telephone: +60-3-89466715 Fax: +60-3-89430913
Received: October 25, 2013
Revised: February 28, 2014
Accepted: April 30, 2014
Published online: September 7, 2014
Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has killed countless lives in human history. The invention of HBV vaccines in the 20th century has reduced significantly the rate of the viral infection. However, currently there is no effective treatment for chronic HBV carriers. Newly emerging vaccine escape mutants and drug resistant strains have complicated the viral eradication program. The entire world is now facing a new threat of HBV and human immunodeficiency virus co-infection. Could phage display provide solutions to these life-threatening problems? This article reviews critically and comprehensively the innovative and potential applications of phage display in the development of vaccines, therapeutic agents, diagnostic reagents, as well as gene and drug delivery systems to combat HBV. The application of phage display in epitope mapping of HBV antigens is also discussed in detail. Although this review mainly focuses on HBV, the innovative applications of phage display could also be extended to other infectious diseases.

Keywords: Phage display, Hepatitis B virus, Epitope mapping, Drug delivery, Gene delivery, Antiviral drug, Therapeutics, Diagnosis, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Virus-like particle, Vaccine

Core tip: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) poses a major health problem worldwide and currently there is no effective treatment for HBV infection. Treatments of patients with nucleoside analogues have resulted in the selection of vaccine escape and drug resistant mutants. Most frightening, HBV is now linking arms with human immunodeficiency virus to threaten the world. Phage display has been employed extensively to solve these life-threatening problems. This article reviews critically the innovative applications of phage display in epitope mapping and the development of vaccines, therapeutic agents, diagnostic reagents, as well as gene and drug delivery systems.