Rational design of potent, bioavailable, nonpeptide cyclic ureas as HIV protease inhibitors

Science. 1994 Jan 21;263(5145):380-4. doi: 10.1126/science.8278812.

Abstract

Mechanistic information and structure-based design methods have been used to design a series of nonpeptide cyclic ureas that are potent inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease and HIV replication. A fundamental feature of these inhibitors is the cyclic urea carbonyl oxygen that mimics the hydrogen-bonding features of a key structural water molecule. The success of the design in both displacing and mimicking the structural water molecule was confirmed by x-ray crystallographic studies. Highly selective, preorganized inhibitors with relatively low molecular weight and high oral bioavailability were synthesized.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Azepines / chemistry*
  • Azepines / metabolism
  • Azepines / pharmacokinetics
  • Azepines / pharmacology
  • Binding Sites
  • Biological Availability
  • Cell Line
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Dogs
  • Drug Design*
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • HIV Protease / chemistry
  • HIV Protease / metabolism
  • HIV Protease Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • HIV Protease Inhibitors / metabolism
  • HIV Protease Inhibitors / pharmacokinetics
  • HIV Protease Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • HIV-1 / drug effects
  • HIV-1 / physiology
  • Hydrogen Bonding
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Molecular Weight
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Urea
  • Virus Replication / drug effects

Substances

  • Azepines
  • HIV Protease Inhibitors
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Urea
  • HIV Protease