Therapy of AIDS comprises two aspects: (1) causative therapy, directed against HIV, and (2) symptomatic therapy of opportunistic infections and malignancies. The best results regarding antiretroviral therapy - both in vitro and in vivo - have been obtained, so far, with inhibitors of reverse transcriptase. We discuss the mechanism of action, the efficacy, and the side effects of AZT, a nucleoside analogue, and comment on combined therapies with acyclovir and immunomodulators. We report on the therapy of the most frequent opportunistic infection - i.e. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia - with sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and pentamidine as well as the chemoprophylaxis of this disease. During the last few years, important progress has been made in the field of antiviral chemotherapy (HSV, CMV, VZV) and the therapy of gastrointestinal infections. Moreover, the therapy of Kaposi's sarcoma associated with AIDS and that of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has been established by now.
