Disubstituted BIS-THF moieties as new P2 ligands in nonpeptidal HIV-1 protease inhibitors

HIV-1 protease inhibitors (PIs) remain a powerful tool in the battle against HIV. The recently approved nonpeptidal HIV-protease inhibitor darunavir has been reported to be highly active against the wild-type virus as well as against a series of mutant strains. A rigid bis-tetrahydrofuran (bis-THF) moiety, with its two well-positioned hydrogen bond acceptors, has proven to play a crucial role in the interaction of darunavir with the enzyme. Based on the darunavir structure, a series of novel disubstituted bis-THF containing HIV-1 protease inhibitors have been developed, which show very good activities against wild-type HIV-1 protease as well as a panel of multi-PI resistant mutant strains. In particular, PIs have been synthesised that show equivalent and greater activity for mutant strains compared to wild-type HIV-1 protease. The new ligands are derived from a selectively protected bis-THF diol scaffold, the synthesis of which has been developed in our group. Alongside the synthesis, a design rational, as well as results from biological testing and molecular modelling will be described

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Ph.D.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Southampton

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Hohlfeld, Konrad

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Linclau, Bruno