9-(2-C-Cyano-2-deoxy-β-d-arabino- pentofuranosyl)guanine, a Potential Antitumor Agent against B-Lymphoma Infected with Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus

Several 9-(2-C-cyano-2-deoxy-l-β-d-arabino-pentofuranosyl)purine derivatives were tested against Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)-infected primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells. The guanine derivative (3, CNDAG), as well as the 2-amino-6-substituted-purine derivatives 4, 5, and 6, exhibited cell growth inhibitory activity against KSHV-infected cells, but showed no cytotoxicity against KSHV-negative cells at >15 μM concentrations. Therefore, it was found that compounds 3, 4, 5, and 6 showed selective cytotoxicity against PEL cells infected with KSHV.