SELECTIVE ANTI-VIRAL NUCLEOSIDE CHAIN TERMINATORS

摘要

The present invention relates to dideoxynucleoside analog compounds containing a dideoxy ribofuranosyl moiety that exhibit selective anti-viral activity coupled with substantially low toxicity toward the host cells. In particular, the compoounds according to the present invention show potent inhibition of the replication of the human immunodeficience virus (HIV), while remaining substantially inert toward host cell DNA. Compounds according to the present invention exhibit primary utility as agents for inhibiting the growth or replication of retroviruses, particularly HIV. The compounds of the invention comprise a (2, 3'-dideoxy- beta -ribofuranosyl) ring coupled to a heterocyclic nucleobase that lacks an "02 carbonyl", that enables them to selectively react with and inhibit viral reverse transcriptase, while remaining substantially unreactive toward human DNA polymerases.