3-β-D-ribofuranosylthiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidine nucleosides and uses thereof

A method of treating Hepatitis C virus infection comprising administering to a patient infected with hepatitis C virus a therapeutically effective amount of compound represented by Formula I

• wherein:
• R1a, R1b, and R1c are independently H, —C(O)R3, a racemic, L-, or D- amino acid group —C(O)CH2NHR4, —C(O)CH(C1-6 alkyl)NHR4, or R1b and R1c are collectively —C(O)—, which together with the oxygen atoms forms a five-membered carbonate ring;
• R2 is H;
• R3 is a C1-18 alkyl;
• and
• R4 is H, —C(O)CH(C1-6 alkyl)NH2, or —C(O)CH(CH2-aryl)NH2;
• wherein the alkyl and aryl moieties of the foregoing groups are optionally substituted with substituents independently selected from halo, cyano, nitro, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, C2-C6 alkynyl, hydroxy, C1-C6 alkoxy, —NH2, —NH—alkyl, —N(alkyl)2, —NH-aryl, —N(alkyl)(aryl), —N(aryl)2, —NHCHO, —NHC(O)alkyl, —NHC(O)aryl, —N(alkyl)C(O)H, —N(alkyl)C(O)alkyl, —N(aryl)C(O)H, —N(aryl)C(O)alkyl, —NHCO2alkyl, —N(alkyl)CO2alkyl, —NHC(O)NH2, —N(alkyl)C(O)NH2, —NHC(O)NH-alkyl, —NHC(O)N(alkyl)2, —N(alkyl)C(O)NH-alkyl, N(alkyl)C(O)N(alkyl)2, —NHSO2-alkyl, —N(alkyl)S02-alkyl, —C(O)alkyl, —C(O)aryl, —OC(O)alkyl, —OC(O)aryl, —CO2-alkyl, —CO2-aryl, —CO2H, —C(O)NH2, —C(O)NH-alkyl, —C(O)N(alkyl)2, —C(O)NH-aryl, —C(O)N(aryl)2, —C(O)N(alkyl)(aryl), —S(O)alkyl, —S(O)aryl, —SO2alkyl, —SO2aryl, —SO2NH2, —SO2NH-alkyl, and —SO2N(alkyl)2;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.