Synthesis of a new class of HIV-1 inhibitors

A new family of molecules potentially inhibitors of the HIV-1 Tat-TAR complex was prepared. These compounds are constituted by dinucleotide analogs (PNA dimer) bound, through a linker, to an arginine residue. In this series, several molecules inhibit viral development in cell culture with a micromolar IC50 and without cellular toxicity until 200 microM concentration.