Acyclic nucleoside phosphonates in the chemotherapy of DNA virus and retrovirus infections.

The acyclic nucleoside phosphonates [HPMPC (cidofovir), PMEA (adefovir) and PMPA] have proved to the effective in vitro (cell culture systems) and in vivo (animal models, clinical studies) against a wide variety of DNA virus and retrovirus infections: i.e., HPMPC against herpesvirus (herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus types 6, 7, and 18), polyoma-, papilloma-, adeno-, and poxvirus (vaccinia virus, molluscum contagiosum virus) infections; PMEA against herpesvirus, hepadnavirus (human hepatitis B virus) and retrovirus (human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and 2, simian immunodeficiency virus, and feline immunodeficiency virus) infections; and PMPA against both hepadna- and retrovirus infections.