Substituted chiral fused [1,2] imidazo [4,5-

1. A compound of the formula:

wherein:

G is selected from the group consisting of:

-hydrogen,

—C(O)—R′,

α-aminoacyl,

α-aminoacyl-α-aminoacyl,

—C(O)—O—R′,

—C(O)—N(R″)R′,

—C(═NY 2 )—R′,

—CH(OH)—C(O)—OY 2 ,

—CH(OC 1-4 alkyl)Y 0 ,

—CH 2 Y 1 , and

—CH(CH 3 )Y 1 ;

R′ and R″ are independently selected from the group consisting of C 1-10 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl, phenyl, benzyl, and 2-phenylethyl, each of which may be unsubstituted or substituted by one or more substituents independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxy, nitro, cyano, carboxy, C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-4 alkoxy, aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C 1-4 alkylenyl, heteroaryl-C 1-4 alkylenyl, halo-C 1-4 alkylenyl, halo-C 1-4 alkoxy, —O—C(O)—CH 3 , —C(O)—O—CH 3 , —C(O)—NH 2 —O—CH 2 —C(O)—NH 2 —NH 2 , and —S(O) 2 —NH 2 , with the proviso that R″ can also be hydrogen;

α-aminoacyl is an α-aminoacyl group derived from an αamino acid selected from the group consisting of racemic, D-, and L-amino acids;

Y o is selected from the group consisting of C 1-6 alkyl, carboxy-C 1-6 alkylenyl, amino-C 1-4 alkylenyl, mono-N-C 1-6 alkylamino-C 1-4 alkylenyl, and di-N,N-C 1-6 alkylamino-C 1-4 alkylenyl;

Y 1 is selected from the group consisting of mono-N-C 1-6 alkylamino, di-N,N-C 1-6 alkylamino, morpholin-4-yl, piperidin-1-yl, pyrrolidin-1-yl, and 4-C 1-4 alkylpiperazin-1-yl;

Y 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl, and benzyl;

R 1 is selected from the group consisting of:

—X 1 —R 4 ,

—X 1 —Y′—R 4 ,

—X 1 —Y′—X″—Y′—R 4 , and

—X 1 —R 5 ;

R 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, alkoxy, alkyl, and alkenyl wherein the alkyl group can be unsubstituted or substituted by one more substituents independently selected from the group consisting of alkoxy, amino, hydroxy, and methanesulfonylamino;

R A and R B together form a fused benzo or pyrido ring, wherein the fused benzo or pyrido ring is unsubstituted or substituted by one or more R groups, or substituted by one R 3 group, or substituted by one R 3 group and one R group;

R is selected from the group consisting of:

halogen,

hydroxy,

alkyl,

alkenyl,

haloalkyl,

alkoxy,

alkylthio, and

—N(R 9 ) 2 ;

R 3 is selected from the group consisting of:

—Z′-R 4 ,

—Z′-X″—R 4 ,

—Z′-X″—Y′—R 4 ,

—Z′-X″—Y′—X″—Y′—R 4 , and

—Z′-X″—R 5 ;

X 1 is selected from the group consisting of alkylene and alkenylene, wherein the alkylene and alkenylene are optionally interrupted by one or more —O— groups, and optionally substituted by a hydroxy or methoxy group;

X″ is selected from the group consisting of alkylene, alkenylene, alkynylene, arylene, heteroarylene, and heterocyclylene wherein the alkylene, alkenylene, and alkynylene groups can be optionally interrupted or terminated by arylene, heteroarylene or heterocyclylene and optionally interrupted by one or more —O — groups;

Y′ is selected from the group consisting of:

—O—,

—S(O) 0-2 —,

—S(O) 2 —N(R 8 )—,

—C(R 6 )—,

—C(R 6 )—O—,

—O—C(R 6 )—,

—O—C(O)—O—,

—N(R 8 )-Q-,

—C(R 6 )—N(R 8 )—,

—O—C(R 6 )—N(R 8 )—,

—C(R 6 )—N(OR 9 )—,

—O—N(R 8 )-Q-,

—O—N═C(R 4 )—,

—C(═N—O—R 8 )—,

—CH(—N(—O—R 8 )-Q-R 4 )—,

Z′ is a bond or —O—;

R 4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, arylalkylenyl, aryloxyalkylenyl, alkylarylenyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkylenyl, heteroaryloxyalkylenyl, alkylheteroarylenyl, and heterocyclyl wherein the alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, arylalkylenyl, aryloxyalkylenyl, alkylarylenyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkylenyl, heteroaryloxyalkylenyl, alkylheteroarylenyl, and heterocyclyl groups can be unsubstituted or substituted by one or more substituents independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl; alkoxy; hydroxyalkyl; haloalkyl; haloalkoxy; halogen; nitro; hydroxy; mercapto; cyano; aryl; aryloxy; arylalkyleneoxy; heteroaryl; heteroaryloxy; heteroarylalkyleneoxy; heterocyclyl; amino; alkylamino; dialkylamino; (dialkylamino)alkyleneoxy; and, in the case of alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, and heterocyclyl, oxo;

R 5 is selected from the group consisting of:

R 6 is selected from the group consisting of ═O and ═S;

R 7 is C 2-7 alkylene;

R 8 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1-10 alkyl, C 2-10 alkenyl, hydroxy-C 1-10 alkylenyl, C 1-10 alkoxy-C 1-10 alkylenyl, aryl-C 1-10 alkylenyl, and heteroaryl-C 1-10 alkylenyl;

R 9 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl;

R 10 is C 3-8 alkylene;

A is selected from the group consisting of —CH 2 —, —O—, —C(O)—, —S(O) 0-2 —, and —N(-Q-R 4 )—;

A′ is selected from the group consisting of —O—, —S(O) 0-2 —, —N(-Q-R 4 )—, and —CH 2 —;

Q is selected from the group consisting of a bond, —C(R 6 )—, —C(R 6 )—C(R 6 )—, —S(O) 2 —, —C(R 6 )—N(R 8 )—W—, —S(O) 2 —N(R 8 )—, —C(R 6 )—O—, —C(R 6 )—S—, and —C(R 6 )—N(OR 9 )—;

V is selected from the group consisting of —C(R 6 )—, —O—C(R 6 )—, —N(R 8 )—C(R 6 )—, and —S(O) 2 —;

W is selected from the group consisting of a bond, —C(O)—, and —S(O) 2 —; and

a and b are independently integers from 1 to 6 with the proviso that a+b is ≦7;

with the proviso that X 1 can also be a bond when:

Y′ is bonded to X 1 and Y′ is —C(R 6 )—, —C(R 6 )—O—, —C(R 6 )—N(R 8 )—, —C(R 6 )—N(OR 9 )—, —C(═N—O—R 8 )—, —CH(—N(—O—R 8 )-Q-R 4 )—,

wherein V is —C(R 6 )—, or

R 4 is bonded to X 1 and R 4 is other than hydrogen; or

R 5 is bonded to X 1 and R 5 is

wherein V is —C(R 6 )— or

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

2. The compound of claim 1 of the formula:

3. The compound of claim 1 of the formula:

wherein:

n is an integer from 0 to 4;

m is 0 or 1; with the proviso that when m is 1, then n is 0 or 1.

4. The compound of claim 1 of the formula:

wherein:

n is an integer from 0 to 3;

m is 0 or 1; with the proviso that when m is 1, then n is 0 or 1.

5. The compound or salt of claim 3 wherein n is 0.

6. The compound or salt of claim 4 wherein n is 0.

7. The compound or salt of any one of claims 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 wherein m is 0.

8. The compound or salt of claim 1 wherein R 1 is —X 1 —R 4 .

9. The compound or salt of claim 1 wherein R 1 is —X 1 —Y′—R 4 .

10. The compound or salt of claim 9 wherein X 1 is C 2-5 alkylene, Y′ is —NH—C(O)—, —S(O) 2 —, or —NH—C(O)—NH—, and R 4 is C 1-3 alkyl.

11. The compound or salt of claim 1 wherein R 1 is tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-ylmethyl.

12. The compound or salt of claim 1 wherein R 2 is C 1-4 alkyl optionally substituted by C 1-3 alkoxy, amino, hydroxy, and methanesulfonylamino.

13. The compound or salt of claim 1 wherein R 2 is selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, aminomethyl, hydroxymethyl, methanesulfonylaminomethyl, and methoxymethyl.

14. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a compound or salt of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

15. A method of inducing cytokine biosynthesis in a human cell comprising administering an effective amount of a compound or salt of claim 1 or the pharmaceutical composition of claim 14 to the human cell.

16. A method of treating a viral disease in an animal in need thereof comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a compound or salt of claim 1 or the pharmaceutical composition of claim 14 to the animal, wherein the viral disease results from infection by HSV-I, HSV-II, CMV, VZV, variola, vaccinia, molluscum contagiosum, rhinovirus, enterovirus, influenzavirus, parainfluenzavirus, mumps virus, measles virus, respiratory syncytial virus, SARS, papillomavirus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, Dengue virus, or HIV.

17. A method of treating a neoplastic disease in an animal in need thereof comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a compound or salt of claim 1 or the pharmaceutical composition of claim 14 to the animal, wherein the neoplastic disease is an intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical dysplasia, actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, melanoma, or a leukemia.