A novel peptide aldehyde with activity against human cytomegalovirus in two different in vivo models

Novel peptide aldehydes (PAs) were identified as potent inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in vitro. Although these compounds were highly effe ctive against HCMV, they did not exhibit any activity against murine cytome galovirus (MCMV). The purpose of this study was to test the antiviral activ ity of PA 8 as a representative of this novel class of inhibitors against H CMV in vivo. Because of the strict species specificity of HCMV we had to us e two artificial animal models. In the first model. HCMV-infected human cel ls were entrapped into agarose plugs and transplanted into mice. In the sec ond model, SCID mice were transplanted with human tissues that were subsequ ently infected with a clinical isolate of HCMV. in these two models the ant iviral activity of PA 8 was clearly demonstrated, ganciclovir only being sl ightly superior in its in vivo antiviral activity.