Inhibition of mammalian adenosine deaminase by novel functionalized 2',3'-dideoxyadenosines

2',3'-Dideoxyadenosine (ddA) analogues with a variety of functionalization at the 2-position have been synthesized by a combination of thermal, photochemical and metal-mediated methodologies. These compounds are either totally resistant to deamination by mammalian adenosine deaminase (ADA) or are very poor substrates of ADA. They are competitive inhibitors of this enzyme.