Jun.28,2007  26  US 2007/0148124 Al  resulting HPMCT polymer. Therefore, given the prior art, it  was not obvious that simply changing the substitution from  a dicarboxylic acid moiety like phthalate to a tricarboxylic  acid moiety like trimellitate would yield a compound with  superior solubility and carboxylilc acid group dissociation at  low pH and at the same time be an effective agent against  multiple infectious organisms. Just as each compound and  each variant with respect to substitution per mole of glucose,  needed to be tested empirically for their solubility and  carboxylic acid dissociation profiles, there also was no a  priori predictive indicator of how each would affect the  different infectious agents described in this application.  [0263]  The degree of substitution of the HPMCT polymer  used in the following assay contained approximately 35  mole percent trimellitate, that is 0.35 moles oftrimellityl per  mole of bl-4 linked glucose dimer (one repeat unit). The  effectiveness of HPMCT at 35% trimellitate substitution  presented in this application is representative of the effec› tiveness of the compounds of the present invention an as  anti-viral agent. Other HPMCTs having variations in the  mole percent substitution can also be synthesized.  It  is to be  noted that in the following examples unless indicated to the  contrary, the HPMCT utilized has 35% trimellitate substi› tution per mole of repeat unit.  [0264]  In addition to the electrostatic enhancement pro› vided by the trimellitate group to the cellulose backbone, the  ability of the polymer to interact with viral glycoproteins is  also enhanced by the presence of the substituents described  herein, e.g., phenyl ring. Specific hydrophobic forces can  help stabilize the interaction of the polymers, copolymers  and oligomers of this invention with HIV-1 gp 120 and gp41.  Therefore, without wishing to be bound, it is believed that  the polymers of Formula I and II are effective in that they  strike a balance between electrostatic and hydrophobic inter› action capability so to enhance molecular binding of said  compounds with target glycoproteins on viral and/or cellular  surfaces.  It  is believed, without wishing to be bound, that  interaction with HIV-1 viral surface proteins including  gp120 and gp41 specifically requires both electrostatic and  hydrophobic interaction to effect tight binding that would  prevent viral interaction with cell surface receptors such as  CD4 or co-receptors like CCR5 and CXCR4. In order to  achieve tight binding that blocks infectivity of cells, the  polymer is preferably present in the molecularly dispersed  state. Therefore, the presence of the substituents described  hereinabove, such as phenyl groups as in the case of  trimellitic modification is desirable for tailoring the hydro› phobicity function of the molecule in order to affect the  desired biological activity. According to the present inven› tion, hydrophobicity can be imparted by e.g., selecting an  intermediate anhydride, or other equivalent modifying  reagent, with a strong hydrophobic group such as those  bearing one or more aromatic rings including phenyl, naph› thyl, and the like with known hydrophobic character.  It  is  thus feasible to tailor the molecule with a smaller number of  strong hydrophobic groups, like naphthyl, or a larger num› ber of less hydrophobic groups like phenyl. One skilled in  the art possesses the ability to strike the above balance  between hydrophobicity, solubility and dissociation proper› ties by manipulating the parameters of the modification and  degree of substitution to arrive at the desired performance.  The modifications according to the present invention are not  limited to reactions with anhydrides but include any substi› tution at R 1 ,  R 2 ,  R 3  and R 4  in Formula I and R 5  in Formula  II or any hydroxyl group in the cellulosic backbone skeleton.  Therefore the scope of the invention should not be limited by  the discrete formulae or examples covered in the specifica› tion.  [0265]  To illustrate the versatility ofthis application Table  1 lists a representative set of moieties that are covalently  linked to a cellulose or acrylic polymer backbone, using the  above described procedures, or a procedure similar to it, that  someone skilled in the art could realize.  TABLE 1  Substitutions for cellulose or acrylic based oligomers, copolymers, or  ol mers.  *R  Trimellitic Acid  COOR  HOOC~COOH  Trimesic Acid  Remimellitic Acid  COH  COOR  MaleicAcid  COH  COOR  Succinic Acid  COOR  R3C~CR3  COOR  Diethylmalonic acid  trans form Aconitic Acid  MVE/MA copolymer of  methyl vinyl ether and  maleic acid  **pKa  Values  2.52, 3.84,  5.2  3.12, 3.89,  4.7  2.8, 4.2,  5.87  1.93, 6.58  4.19, 5.48  3.51, 6.41 