Sepsis requires special and costly hospital treatment. Quite often sepsis quickly develops into severe sepsis and then into septic shock that presents a particular challenge to physicians. There have been considerable advances in the treatment of severe cases in the past few years thanks to an improved understanding of the mechanisms of disease manifestation. New therapeutic approaches have been developed and applied. At the place where basic research and clinical application meet, these articles focus on new developments in innovative standards of therapy and the opportunities they pose for patient survival. The articles are written in English.