Identification of Anti-prion Compounds using a Novel Cellular Assay.

Prion diseases are devastating neurodegenerative disorders with no known cure. One strategy for developing therapies for these diseases is to identify compounds that block conversion of the cellular form of the prion protein (PrP) into the infectious isoform (PrP). Most previous efforts to discover such molecules by high-throughput screening methods have utilized, as a read-out, a single kind of cellular assay system: neuroblastoma cells that are persistently infected with scrapie prions.

Resistance and cross-resistance profile of the diaryltriazine NNRTI and candidate microbicide UAMC01398.

Objectives: The resistance development, cross-resistance to other NNRTIs and the impact of resistance on viral replicative fitness were studied for the new and potent NNRTI UAMC01398.

Methods: Resistance was selected by dose escalation and by single high-dose selection against a comprehensive panel of NNRTIs used as therapeutics and NNRTIs under investigation for pre-exposure prophylaxis of sexual HIV transmission. A panel of 27 site-directed mutants with single mutations or combinations of mutations involved in reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitor-mediated resistance was developed and used to confirm resistance to UAMC01398.

2,6-Di(arylamino)-3-fluoropyridine Derivatives as HIV Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors.

New non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI), which are similar in structure to earlier described di(arylamino)pyrimidines but featuring a 2,6-di(arylamino)-3-fluoropyridine, 2,4-di(arylamino)-5-fluoropyrimidine, or 1,3-di(arylamino)-4-fluorobenzene moiety instead of a 2,4-disubstituted pyrimidine moiety, are reported. The short and practical synthesis of novel NNRTI relies on two sequential Pd-catalyzed aminations as the key steps. It is demonstrated through direct comparison with reference compounds that the presence of a fluorine atom increases the in vitro anti-HIV activity, both against the wild type virus and drug-resistant mutant strains.

From human immunodeficiency virus non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors to potent and selective antitrypanosomal compounds.

The presence of a structural recognition motif for the nucleoside P2 transporter in a library of pyrimidine and triazine non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors, prompted for the evaluation of antitrypanosomal activity. It was demonstrated that the structure-activity relationship for anti-HIV and antitrypanosomal activity was different. Optimization in the diaryl triazine series led to 6-(mesityloxy)-N2-phenyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine (69), a compound with potent in vitro and moderate in vivo antitrypanosomal activity.