Modifications on the heterocyclic base of ganciclovir, penciclovir, acyclovir - syntheses and antiviral properties

Revolutionizing Antiviral Therapeutics: Unveiling Innovative Approaches for Enhanced Drug Efficacy

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in late 2019, viral infections have become one of the top three causes of mortality worldwide. Immunization and the use of immunomodulatory drugs are effective ways to prevent and treat viral infections. However, the primary therapy for managing viral infections remains antiviral and antiretroviral medication. Unfortunately, these drugs are often limited by physicochemical constraints such as low target selectivity and poor aqueous solubility. Although several modifications have been made to enhance the physicochemical characteristics and efficacy of these drugs, there are few published studies that summarize and compare these modifications. Our review systematically synthesized and discussed antiviral drug modification reports from publications indexed in Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases. We examined various approaches that were investigated to address physicochemical issues and increase activity, including liposomes, cocrystals, solid dispersions, salt modifications, and nanoparticle drug delivery systems. We were impressed by how well each strategy addressed physicochemical issues and improved antiviral activity. In conclusion, these modifications represent a promising way to improve the physicochemical characteristics, functionality, and effectiveness of antivirals in clinical therapy.

Platinum-Nucleos(t)ide Compounds as Possible Antimetabolites for Antitumor/Antiviral Therapy: Properties and Perspectives

Nucleoside analogues (NAs) are a family of compounds which include a variety of purine and pyrimidine derivatives, widely used as anticancer and antiviral agents. For their ability to compete with physiological nucleosides, NAs act as antimetabolites exerting their activity by interfering with the synthesis of nucleic acids. Much progress in the comprehension of their molecular mechanisms has been made, including providing new strategies for potentiating anticancer/antiviral activity. Among these strategies, new platinum-NAs showing a good potential to improve the therapeutic indices of NAs have been synthesized and studied. This short review aims to describe the properties and future perspectives of platinum-NAs, proposing these complexes as a new class of antimetabolites.

Cholyl 1,3,4-oxadiazole hybrid compounds: design, synthesis and antimicrobial assessment

A new chemical library based on the hybridization of cholic acid with the heterocyclic moiety 1,3,4-oxadizole was synthesized, and tested for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, and fungi. Among the synthesized compounds, the most potent derivatives against S. aureus were 4t, 4i, 4p, and 4c with MIC values between 31 and 70 µg/mL, while compound 4p was the most active one against Bacillus subtilis with a MIC value of 70 µg/mL. Interestingly, compounds 4a and 4u exerted selective activity against Gram-positive bacteria. The synthesized compounds showed good activity against A. fumigatus and C. albicans and compound 4v exhibited selective activity against fungi only.