2'-deoxy-2'-fluoroadenosine

2'-Deoxy-2'-fluoroadenosine is a modified nucleoside analog and small molecule antimetabolite characterized by the substitution of a fluorine atom at the 2' position of the ribose sugar. It functions as a prodrug in suicide gene therapy systems, where it is selectively cleaved by *Escherichia coli* purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) to release the highly cytotoxic agent 2-fluoroadenine. This metabolite inhibits DNA and RNA synthesis, leading to cell death in both proliferating and quiescent cells, a property utilized to treat solid tumors expressing the bacterial PNP gene. Beyond oncology, the compound and its derivatives have been investigated for antiviral activity against a range of RNA and DNA viruses, including Hepatitis C virus (HCV), HIV, SARS-CoV, and influenza, often acting as a viral polymerase inhibitor or chain terminator. It is also widely employed as a research tool in the synthesis of modified oligonucleotides to investigate nucleic acid structure and protein-nucleic acid interactions.

Other names

2'-Fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine9-(2-deoxy-2-fluoro-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)adenine