Abstract: Described herein is the discovery that certain mycobacterial serine/threonine protein kinases, particularly protein kinase G (PknG), are effective therapeutic targets for the treatment of mycobacterial infections. Furthermore, the present application refers to the use of mycobacterial serine/threonine protein kinases for developing methods for detection and determination of these kinases for recognizing and monitoring diseases and for controlling therapy of diseases.

Abstract: The present invention relates to aromatic guanylhydrazone compounds and their use as pharmaceutically active agents, especially for prophylaxis and treatment of virally caused diseases and infections, including opportunistic infections. The inventive guanylhydrazone compounds are also useful as inhibitors of deoxyhypusine synthase and as inhibitors for nuclear export in infectious diseases and may be used to regulate bacterially induced TNF-&agr; production. Furthermore, the aromatic guanylhydrazones exhibit antibacterial activity against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and can be regarded as a novel class of antibiotics. In addition, methods for prophylaxis and treatment of virally or bacterially induced infections and diseases are disclosed together with pharmaceutical compositions useful within said methods containing at least one aromatic guanylhydrazone of the present invention as active ingredient.