[Immunosuppression (author's transl)].
Among different procedures of immunosuppression in man medical treatment with cytotoxic drugs has become the most important. Biological methods are still under development but promise to gain in importance since they are more specific and have fewer side effects. The clinical effect of immunosuppressive therapy in organ transplantation is undisputed. Its effects has been proven in some but not all immuno-inflammatory diseases. Before immunosuppressive therapy is started it must be known whether it is effective in the particular disease involved. The severity of the disease has to be critically balanced against the possible side effects of cytotoxic drugs.