Background:

FTI-277 is a highly potent and selective FTase inhibitor. At concentration as low as 10 nM, FTI-277 inhibits H-Ras processing and the processing is blocked by more than 95% at 3 μM. [1]

Ras proteins are plasma membrane-associated GTPases. It acts as relay switches transducing biological information from extracellular signals to the nucleus. Farnesyltransferase (FTase) is an enzyme that catalyzed the Ras farnesylation, a lipid posttranslational modification that is required for Ras-induced malignant transformation. [1]

FTI-277, the methyl ester derivative of FTI-276, is extremely potent (ICGraphic = 100 nM) at inhibiting H-Ras, but not the geranylgeranylated Rap1A processing in whole cells. FTI-277 is a farnesylation-specific inhibitor which inhibits the processing of both oncogenic and normal Ras. [1]

In mice that hydrodynamically transfected to produce Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) viremia, FTI-277 treatment is effective in inhibiting viremia. [2]

参考文献:
1.  Bordier BB, Ohkanda J, Liu P et al. In vivo antiviral efficacy of prenylation inhibitors against hepatitis delta virus. J Clin Invest. 2003 Aug;112(3):407-14.
2.  Lerner EC, Qian Y, Blaskovich MA et al. Ras CAAX peptidomimetic FTI-277 selectively blocks
oncogenic Ras signaling by inducing cytoplasmic accumulation of inactive Ras-Raf complexes.  J Biol Chem. 1995 Nov 10;270(45):26802-6. PubMed PMID: 7592920.