Novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of mycobacterial infections and compounds useful therefor

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. Additionally disclosed are novel 4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene compounds, benzo(g)quinoxaline compounds, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and methods of using such compounds and salts thereof for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of virally and/or bacterially induced infections, particularly mycobacteria-induced infections, including opportunistic infections, as well as pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one 4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene compound and/or benzo(g)quinoxaline compound and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.