Niki Tzioumaki

Antiviral Unsaturated Nucleosides

In the search for effective, selective and nontoxic antiviral agents, a variety of nucleoside analogues have been synthesized, with different functionalities in the carbohydrate moiety. Unsaturated nucleoside analogues are recognized as an important class of biologically active compounds and appear to be prominent drugs in the management of several viral infections, including HSV, HIV, HBV, HCV and HCMV infections. Currently, unsaturated nucleoside mimetics, such as stavudine, abacavir and entecavir have been approved for the treatment of viral infections, while elvucitabine and � -L-2� - F-d4C are in clinical trials. The purpose of this review is to give an update of the recent developments on unsaturated nu- cleoside and nucleoside analogues, in both cyclic and acyclic forms, which possess promising therapeutic potential, mainly antiviral. It covers analogues with ring sizes from three to six and provides useful data, in the aim to enhance chemical reactivity or to study the fixation of the sugar conformation.

Dideoxy fluoro-ketopyranosyl nucleosides as potent antiviral agents: Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2,3- and 3,4-dideoxy-3-fluoro-4-and -2-keto-β-D-glucopyranosyl derivatives of N4-benzoyl cytosine

Abstract The synthesis of the dideoxy fluoro ketopyranonucleoside analogues, 1-(2,3-dideoxy-3-fluoro-6-O-trityl-β-d-glycero-hexopyranosyl-4-ulose)-N 4-benzoyl cytosine (7a), 1-(3,4-dideoxy-3-fluoro-6-O-trityl-β-d-glycero-hexopyranosyl-2-ulose)-N 4-benzoyl cytosine (13a) and their detritylated analogues 8a and 14a, respectively, is described. Condensation of peracetylated 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-d-glucopyranose (1) with silylated N 4-benzoyl cytosine, followed by selective deprotection and isopropylidenation afforded compound 2. Routine deoxygenation at position 2′, followed by a deprotection-selective reprotection sequence afforded the partially tritylated dideoxy nucleoside of cytosine 6, which upon oxidation of the free hydroxyl group at the 4′-position, furnished the desired tritylated 2,3-dideoxy-3-fluoro ketonucleoside 7a in equilibrium with its hydrated form 7b. Compound 2 was the starting material for the synthesis of the dideoxy fluoro ketopyranonucleoside 13a. Similarly, several subsequent protection and deprotection steps as well as routine deoxygenation at position 4′, followed by oxidation of the free hydroxyl group at the 2′-position of the partially tritylated dideoxy nucleoside 12, yielded the desired carbonyl compound 13a in equilibrium with its hydrated form 13b. Finally, trityl removal from 7a/b and 13a/b provided the unprotected 2,3-dideoxy-3-fluoro-4-keto and 3,4-dideoxy-3-fluoro-2-ketopyranonucleoside analogues 8a and 14a, in equilibrium with their gem-diol forms 8b and 14b. None of the compounds showed inhibitory activity against a wide variety of DNA and RNA viruses at subtoxic concentrations, except 7a/b that was highly efficient against rotavirus infection. Nucleoside 7a/b also exhibited cytostatic activity against cells of various cancers. BrdU-cell cycle analysis revealed that the mechanism of cytostatic activity may be related to a delay in G1/S phase and initiation of programmed cell death.

Synthesis, Antiviral and Cytostatic Evaluation of Unsaturated Exomethylene and Keto D-Lyxopyranonucleoside Analogues

This report describes the synthesis of unsaturated exomethylene lyxopyranonucleoside analogues as potential biologically active agents. Commercially available 1,2,3,4‐tetra‐O‐acetyl‐α‐D‐lyxopyranose 1 was condensed with silylated thymine and uracil, respectively, deacetylated and acetalated to afford 1‐(2,3‐O‐isopropylidene‐α‐D‐lyxopyranosyl)thymine 4a and 1‐(2,3‐O‐isopropylidene‐α‐D‐lyxopyranosyl)uracil 4b. The new derivatives 1‐(2,3,4‐trideoxy‐4‐methylene‐α‐pent‐2‐enopyranosyl)thymine 8a and 1‐(2,3,4‐trideoxy‐4‐methylene‐α‐pent‐2‐enopyranosyl)uracil 8b were prepared via two different key intermediates, 7a, b and 13a, b in order to elucidate the influence of 2′,3′‐unsaturation and to clarify the difference between the keto and exomethylene group on the biological activity of the target molecules. Compounds 7a, b, 8a, b, and 13a, b were evaluated for their antiviral and cytostatic activity using several virus strains and cell lines. Whereas no marked antiviral activity was noticed, 13a and 13b showed a cytostatic activity that ranged between 7 and 23 μM for 13a and 26 and 38 μM for 13b against murine leukemia L1210, human lymphocyte Molt4/C8 and CEM cells, and human breast carcinoma MCF7 cells.

A Facile, One‐Step Conversion of 6‐O‐Trityl and 6‐O‐TBDMS Monosaccharides into the Corresponding Formate Esters

A convenient method has been developed for a facile and high‐yield conversion of 6‐O‐tert‐butyldimethylsilyl and 6‐O‐trityl protected monosaccharides to their formate esters, which may serve as useful intermediates for the replacement of the primary hydroxyl group of sugars by other functional groups.

Synthesis of 3-fluoro-6-S-(2-S-pyridyl) nucleosides as potential lead cytostatic agents.

Abstract The 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-6-S-(2-S-pyridyl)-6-thio-β-d-glucopyranosyl nucleoside analogs 7 were prepared via two facile synthetic routes. Their precursors, 3-fluoro-6-thio-glucopyranosyl nucleosides 5a-e, were obtained by the sequence of deacetylation of 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-β-d-glucopyranosyl nucleosides 2a-e, selective tosylation of the primary OH of 3 and finally treatment with potassium thioacetate. The desired thiolpyridine protected analogs 7a-c,f,g were obtained by the sequence of deacetylation of 5a-c followed by thiopyridinylation and/or condensation of the corresponding heterocyclic bases with the newly synthesized peracetylated 6-S-(2-S-pyridyl) sugar precursor 13, which was obtained via a novel synthetic route from glycosyl donor 12. None of the compounds 6 and 7 showed antiviral activity, but the 5-fluorouracil derivative 7c and particularly the uracil derivative 7b were endowed with an interesting and selective cytostatic action against a variety of murine and human tumor cell cultures.

A concise synthesis of 3-fluoro-5-thio-xylo- and glucopyranoses, useful precursors towards their corresponding pyranonucleoside derivatives.

The chemical synthesis of 1,2,4-tri-O-acetyl-3-deoxy-3-fluoro-5-thio-D-xylopyranose, 1,2,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-3-deoxy-3-fluoro-5-thio-alpha-D-glucopyranose and their corresponding nucleosides of thymine is described. Treatment of 3-fluoro-5-S-acetyl-5-thio-D-xylofuranose, obtained by hydrolysis of the isopropylidene group of 3-fluoro-1,2-O-isopropylidene-5-S-acetyl-5-thio-D-xylofuranose, with methanolic ammonia and direct acetylation, led to triacetylated 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-5-thio-D-xylopyranose. Condensation of acetylated 3-fluoro-5-thio-D-xylopyranose with silylated thymine afforded the corresponding nucleoside. Selective benzoylation and direct methanesulfonylation of 3-fluoro-1,2-O-isopropylidene-alpha-D-glucofuranose gave the 6-O-benzoyl-5-O-methylsulfonyl derivative, which on treatment with sodium methoxide afforded the 5,6-anhydro derivative. Treatment of the latter with thiourea, followed by acetolysis, gave the 3-fluoro-5-S-acetyl-6-O-acetyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-5-thio-alpha-D-glucofuranose. 3-fluoro-5-S-acetyl-6-O-acetyl-5-thio-D-glucofuranose, obtained after hydrolysis of 5-thiofuranose isopropylidene, was treated with ammonia in methanol and directly acetylated, giving tetraacetylated 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-5-thio-alpha-D-glucopyranose. Condensation of the latter with silylated thymine afforded the desired 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-5-thio-beta-D-glucopyranonucleoside analogue.