Novel compounds that are potent inhibitors of HIV reverse transcriptase (RT)
are described in the invention. Thes novel compounds also inhibit replication of
a retrovirus, such as human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1). The novel compounds
of the invention include analogs and derivatives of phenethylthiazolylthiourea
(PETT), of dihydroalkoxybenzyloxopyrimidine (DABO), and of 1-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-6-(phenylthio)thymine (HEPT).
The invention additionally provides a composite HIV reverse-transcriptase (RT)
nonnucleoside inhibitor (NNI) binding pocket constructed from a composite of multiple
NNI-RT complexes. The composite RT-NNI binding pocket provides a unique and useful
tool for designing and identifying novel, potent inhibitors of reverse transcriptase.
