Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Physical Sciences, Chemistry, Medicinal, Chemistry, Organic, Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Chemistry, Polyfluoroaromatic, Pentafluorosulfanyl, SF5, Stavudine, d4T, ProTide, Phosphoramidate, Antiviral, Nucleoside, HIV, DERIVATIVES, NUCLEOSIDE, PHOSPHATE, SF(5), Anti-HIV Agents, Cell Line, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, HIV-1, HIV-2, Humans, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Molecular Structure, Structure-Activity Relationship, Thymidine Kinase, 0304 Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry, 0305 Organic Chemistry, 1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry, 3404 Medicinal and biomolecular chemistry, 3405 Organic chemistry

Abstract:

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) damages the immune system and leads to the life-threatening acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Despite the advances in the field of antiretroviral treatment, HIV remains a major public health challenge. Nucleosides represent a prominent chemotherapeutic class for treating viruses, however their cellular uptake, kinase-mediated activation and catabolism are limiting factors. Herein, we report the synthesis and in vitro evaluation of stavudine (d4T) ProTides containing polyfluorinated aryl groups against two strains; HIV-1 (IIIB) and HIV-2 (ROD). ProTide 5d containing a meta-substituted pentafluorosulfanyl (3-SF5) aryl group showed superior antiviral activity over the parent d4T and the nonfluorinated analogue 5a. ProTide 5d has low nanomolar antiviral activity; (IC50 = 30 nM, HIV-1) and (IC50 = 36 nM, HIV-2) which is over tenfold more potent than d4T. Interestingly, ProTide 5d showed a significantly high selectivity indices with SI = 1753 (HIV-1) and 1461 (HIV-2) which is more than twice that of the d4T. All ProTides were screened in wild type as well as thymidine kinase deficient (TK-) cells. Enzymatic activation of ProTide 5d using carboxypeptidase Y enzyme and monitored using both 31P and 19F NMR is presented.