Abstract
To the Editor: The recent Special Report on the development of therapy for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (Feb. 26 issue)1 indicates that the most promising agents effective against AIDS are 3′-azidothymidine (AZT) and 2′,3′-dideoxycytidine (DDC). These 2′-deoxynucleosides, which lack esterifiable hydroxyls at their 3′-carbon, were synthesized initially as potential terminators of DNA synthesis. The compounds were inactive in screening trials for cancer, but were discovered by Broder and his collaborators to inhibit the reproduction of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in culture.After phosphorylation to the triphosphate, both AZT and DDC appear to inhibit the reverse transcriptase of HIV, an . . .

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