Bioisosteric replacement is a powerful tool for modulating the drug-like properties, toxicity, and chemical space of experimental therapeutics. In this review, we focus on selected cases where bioisosteric replacement and scaffold hopping have been used in the development of new anti-HIV-1 therapeutics. Moreover, we cover field-based, computational methodologies for bioisosteric replacement, using studies from our group as an example. It is our hope that this review will serve to highlight the utility and potential of bioisosteric replacement in the continuing search for new and improved anti-HIV drugs.
Keywords: HIV-1; Vif; antiviral; bioisosteres; computer-aided drug design; envelope; integrase; protease; reverse transcriptase; tat.