Inhibitors of human purine nucleoside phosphorylase. Synthesis, purine nucleoside phosphorylase inhibition, and T-cell cytotoxicity of 2,5-diaminothiazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidin-7(6H)-one and 2,5-diaminothiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-7(6H)-one. Two thio isosteres of 8-aminoguanine.

8-Aminoguanine is a potent inhibitor of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) and also a substrate of PNP. Two thio isosteres of 8-aminoguanine, 2,5-diaminothiazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidin-7(6H)-one (2) and 2,4-diaminothiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-7(6H)-one (3), which cannot be substrates of PNP, were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activity against PNP. They were found to be weak inhibitors of PNP and to be noncytotoxic for MOLT-4 T-cells in culture.