Xanthine-based acyclic nucleoside phosphonates with potent antiviral activity against varicella-zoster virus and human cytomegalovirus

While noncanonic xanthine nucleotides XMP/dXMP play an important role in balancing and maintaining intracellular purine nucleotide pool as well as in potential mutagenesis, surprisingly, acyclic nucleoside phosphonates bearing a xanthine nucleobase have not been studied so far for their antiviral properties. Herein, we report the synthesis of a series of xanthine-based acyclic nucleoside phosphonates and evaluation of their activity against a wide range of DNA and RNA viruses. Two acyclic nucleoside phosphonates within the series, namely 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]xanthine (PMEX) and 9-[3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]xanthine (HPMPX), were shown to possess activity against several human herpesviruses. The most potent compound was PMEX, a xanthine analogue of adefovir (PMEA). PMEX exhibited a single digit µM activity against VZV (EC(50) = 2.6 µM, TK(+) Oka strain) and HCMV (EC(50) = 8.5 µM, Davis strain), while its hexadecyloxypropyl monoester derivative was active against HSV-1 and HSV-2 (EC(50) values between 1.8 and 4.0 µM). In contrast to acyclovir, PMEX remained active against the TK(–) VZV 07–1 strain with EC(50) = 4.58 µM. PMEX was suggested to act as an inhibitor of viral DNA polymerase and represents the first reported xanthine-based acyclic nucleoside phosphonate with potent antiviral properties.