Synthesis of New Uracil Derivatives with Antiviral and Anticancer Potential

The need for new effective compounds that can serve as prototype drugs for the treatment of viral infections and various types of cancer has not diminished over the past decades. This is due to the emergence of new pathogens and the development of resistance to existing drugs. Nucleoside analogues are one of the most common classes of drugs that have long served as the basis for antiviral and anticancer therapies. The analogues' similarity to natural nucleosides, which are involved in many biological processes, allows them to inhibit key enzymes in the development of pathogenic processes. The antiviral properties of synthetic nucleosides and their analogues are of great interest in connection with the primary or re-emerging viruses with epidemic and/or pandemic potential, such as Ebola, Zika, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome viruses, coronaviruses 1 and 2 (SARS and SARS-CoV-2), or new strains of influenza. The aim of our work was to create new uracil derivatives—acyclic reverse fleximers as potential antiviral and antitumor agents. The substances were obtained by the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction and characterized using modern physicochemical methods. Antiviral activity against influenza A/California/7/2009 and SARS-CoV-2 was tested, and cytotoxicity was assessed on leukemia and neuroblastoma cell cultures.