Polio and dengue viruses replication inhibits (University of Kansas)

A series of 80 7-(het)aryl- and 7-ethynyl-7-deazapurine ribonucleosides bearing a methoxy, methylsulfanyl, methylamino, dimethylamino, methyl, or oxo group at position 6, or 2,6-disubstituted derivatives bearing a methyl or amino group at position 2, were prepared, and the biological activity of the compounds was studied and compared with that of the parent 7-(het)aryl-7-deazaadenosine series. Several of the compounds, in particular 6-substituted 7-deazapurine derivatives bearing a furyl or ethynyl group at position 7, were significantly cytotoxic at low nanomolar concentrations whereas most were much less potent or inactive. Promising activity was observed with some compounds against Mycobacterium bovis and also against hepatitis C virus in a replicon assay.

Title 6-alkyl-, 6-aryl- and 6-hetaryl-7-deazapurine ribonucleosides previously known as nanomolar cytostatics were found to be potent inhibitors of either human or mycobacterial (MTB) adenosine kinase (ADK).Several new derivatives bearing bulky substituents at position 6 were non-cytotoxic but selectively inhibited MTB ADK.However, most of the nucleosides (ADK inhibitors) as well as their octadecylphosphate prodrugs were inactive in the whole cell assay of inhibition of Mycobacterium bovis growth. 6-Methyl-7-deazapurine ribonucleoside was found to be a potent antimycobacterial agent.