Selenoacyclovir and Selenoganciclovir: Discovery of a New Template for Antiviral Agents

On the basis of the potent antiviral activity of acyclovir and ganciclovir, selenoacyclovir (2a) and selenoganciclovir (2b) were designed based on bioisoteric rationale and synthesized via the diselenide 7 as the key intermediate. Compound 2a exhibited potent anti-HSV-1 and -2 activities while 2b exerted moderate anti-HCMV activity, indicating that these nucleosides can serve as a novel template for the development of new antiviral agents.