| dideoxynucleosides | <chemical> Nucleosides that have two hydroxy groups removed from the sugar moiety. The majority of these compounds have broad-spectrum antiretroviral activity due to their action as antimetabolites. The nucleosides are phosphorylated intracellularly to their 5'-triphosphates and act as chain-terminating inhibitors of viral reverse transcription. Pharmacological action: antimetabolites, antiviral agents, reverse transcriptase inhibitors. (12 Dec 1998) |
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