Structure-Activity Relationships of Acyclic Selenopurine Nucleosides as Antiviral Agents

A series of acyclic selenopurine nucleosides 3a–f and 4a–g were synthesized based on the bioisosteric rationale between oxygen and selenium, and then evaluated for antiviral activity. Among the compounds tested, seleno-acyclovir (4a) exhibited the most potent anti-herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 (EC(50) = 1.47 µM) and HSV-2 (EC(50) = 6.34 µM) activities without cytotoxicity up to 100 µM, while 2,6-diaminopurine derivatives 4e–g exhibited significant anti-human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) activity, which is slightly more potent than the guanine derivative 4d, indicating that they might act as prodrugs of seleno-ganciclovir (4d).