Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of EDAP, a 40-ethynyl-20-deoxyadenosine 50-monophosphate analog, as a potent influenza A inhibitor

Abstract

Influenza A viruses leading to infectious respiratory diseases cause seasonal epidemics and sometimes periodic global pandemics. Viral polymerase is an attractive target in inhibiting viral replication, and 40-ethynyladenosine, which has been reported as a highly potent anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) nucleoside derivative, can work as an anti-influenza agent. Herein, we designed and synthesized a 40-ethynyl-20-deoxyadenosine 50-monophosphate analog called EdAP (5). EdAP exhibited potent inhibition against influenza virus multiplication in Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells transfected with human α2-6-sialyltransferase (SIAT1) cDNA and did not show any toxicity toward the cells. Surprisingly, this DNA-type nucleic acid analog (5) inhibited the multiplication of influenza A virus, although influenza virus is an RNA virus that does not generate DNA.