Recent advances in the chemotherapy of AIDS.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) continues to grow unabated and in pandemic proportions around the world. The complexity and high mutational ability of the etiologic agent, human immunodeficiency virus, has posed an unprecedented threat toward the chemotherapy of AIDS. Use of contemporary virology to unfold the mystery of HIV-1 and the discovery of key molecular targets for chemotherapeutic intervention has accelerated the quest for safe and effective anti-HIV agents. The vital stages in viral replication amenable to inhibition by novel chemical entities and representative examples from diverse chemical classes as potential anti-AIDS agents are presented in this review.