Perspectives for the chemotherapy of AIDS

Several steps in the replicative cycle of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) could be envisaged as targets for anti-AIDS drugs. The anionic compound PMEA [9-(2-phosphonyl-methoxyethyl)adenine], the 2'3'-dideoxynucleoside analogues D4T (2',3-deidehydro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine), AzddUrd 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxyuridine), FddUrd (3'-fluoro-2',3-dideoxyuridine), AzddDAPR (3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxy-2,6' diaminopurine riboside) and the sulfated polysaccharides dextran sulfate and pentosan polysulfate are among the most promising candidate anit-AIDS drugs which have been recently described. They are targeted at either virus-cell binding (dextran sulfate, pentosan polysulfate) or virus-associated reverse transcriptase (PMEA, D4T, AzddUrd, FddUrd, AzddDAPR).