Synthesis of Novel Test Compounds for Antiviral Chemotherapy of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

This contribution reviews the synthesis of a range of experimental drugs designed for and aiming at antiviral chemotherapy of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-induced human disease conditions. The selection of 25 test materials includes eleven trioxa-adamantane-triols (TATs) [BN, IBNCA, ABNCA, VANBA, ethylVANBA, euBN, euVANBA, ansaBN, Ehrlich BN, [6]prismaneBN, nitrodiBN], trivially termed bananins, one trioxa-adamantan-ol (TAO) THYMOBA, one bis-bananin pi-bananin (piBN), one triazaadamantane delta-bananin (deltaBN), seven potential nucleic acid-binding drugs (XBQC, INDO, PivINDO, AZTRION, AZADO, AZOCYS, AZOGALL), one potential antiviral interferon-inducer and distant nucleoside analog diazon, one potential HIV protein Vif antagonist AZODIAZON, one folic acid-diazon condensate DIAZONOFOL, and one special nucleoside analog (fructoinosine/fructovir). Four of the eleven bananins (BN, IBNCA, VANBA, euBN) were already demonstrated to constitute effective inhibitors of SARS-CoV NSP10/nsp13 RNA/DNA helicase/NTPase protein ATPase enzymatic function. Bananin (BN) was an effective inhibitor of both SARS-CoV RNA/DNA helicase nucleic acid unwinding function and SARS-CoV (Coronaviridae, Coronavirus) RNA-viral replication in cell culture. In summary, at least one selected compound of the synthesized test materials represents an interesting drug candidate for treatment of SARS-CoV-induced human disease (SARS). Viewed in aspects of organic chemistry [6]prismaneBN and nitrodiBN are the first true hexaprismane derivatives synthesized, and all reported compounds are entirely new.