A series of 2',3'-unsaturated and 3'-substituted 2',3'-dideoxynucleoside analogues of purines and pyrimidines have been synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The 2',3'-unsaturated analogues of 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddeCyd) and 2',3'-dideoxythymidine (ddeThd), 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AzddThd), 3'-fluoro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine, 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddCyd), and 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (ddAdo) emerged as the most potent inhibitors of HIV-induced cytopathogenicity in the human T lymphocyte cell lines ATH8 and MT4. In ATH8 cells ddCyd, ddeCyd, and ddAdo had the highest therapeutic index whereas in MT4 cells AzddThd, ddThd, ddCyd, and ddAdo were the most selective. Derivatives from ddThd in which the substituent group was linked to the 3'-carbon atom via a thio, sulfonyl, or oxygen bridge were far less inhibitory to HIV than was AzddThd.