Applying phage display technology in aging research

Filamentous bacteriophage offers the possibility oflinking genotype with phenotype in one geneticpackage. By creating a library of different proteinsas fusion to one of the coat proteins of filamentousbacteriophage it becomes possible to isolate proteinsbased on their binding characteristics. Phagedisplayed libraries of varying formats, ranging fromsmall peptides to antibody fragments, have beenselected successfully for ligands toward a large panelof targets. These peptides and antibody fragments areapplicable in analysis of the behaviour of certainproteins with respect to changes in biologicalprocesses such as aging, thus providing valuable toolsfor a general understanding of the aging process.Alternatively, display of antibody fragments orpeptides on filamentous bacteriophage can beinstrumental in the discovery of novel antigens asexemplified by selections on cell surfaces or oncomplex protein mixtures such as sera from agingindividuals. Although phage display has been appliedsuccessfully in a large number of studies relating tocancer, viral infections and other biologicalprocesses, its application in the field of agingresearch is yet to be realised.