Substituted pyridopyrrolopyrimidine ribonucleosides for therapeutic uses

Substituted pyridopyrrolopyrimidine ribonucleosides of general formula I:

• wherein
• X is a nitrogen atom and Y is a carbon atom;
• or
• X is a carbon atom and Y is a nitrogen atom;
• and wherein
• R is selected from the group consisting of
• C1-C5 alkyl, optionally substituted by at least one substitutent selected from hydroxy, sulfanyl, amino, C1-C5 alkoxy, C1-C5 sulfanyl, C1-C5 alkylamino, and di(C1-C5 alkyl)amino;
• C2-C6 alkenyl, optionally substituted by at least one substitutent selected from hydroxy, sulfanyl, amino, C1-C5 alkoxy, C1-C5 sulfanyl, C1-C5 alkylamino, and di(C1-C5 alkyl)amino;
• C6-C12 aryl, optionally substituted by at least one substitutent selected from C1-C5 alkyl, hydroxy, sulfanyl, amino, C1-C5 alkoxy, C1-C5 sulfanyl, C1-C5 alkylamino, and di(C1-C5 alkyl)amino;
• C4-12 heteroaryl, comprising at least one heteroatom selected from O and S;
• optionally substituted by at least one substituent selected from C1-C5 alkyl, hydroxy, sulfanyl, amino, C1-C5 alkoxy, C1-C5 sulfanyl, C1-C5 alkylamino, and di(C1-C5 alkyl)amino;
• amino,
• C1-C5 alkylamino,
• di(C1-C5 alkyl)amino,
• C1-C5 alkoxy, and
• C1-C5 alkylsulfanyl,
• and pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, their optical isomers and mixtures of such optical isomers, or racemic mixtures.