American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Although the mechanisms of disease severity for this form of asthma are not fully understood, progress has been made in identifying promising targets for new treatments.

Successful applications of nanotechnology in the field of immunology will enable new generations of vaccines, adjuvants, and immunomodulatory drugs that aim to improve clinical outcomes in response in a range of infectious and non-infectious diseases.

Due to its ambiguous etiology, the low cost-to-benefit ratio associated with many laboratory tests used in assessment and diagnosis, and the low-to-moderate strength of evidence supporting many pharmacologic approaches to treatment, chronic urticaria can be one of the most difficult inflammatory skin conditions for clinicians to manage.

A review of the various guidelines on the treatment of chronic urticaria shows there is limited evidence demonstrating the efficacy of many commonly used medications, with the strongest evidence supporting the use of one or more second-generation antihistamines.

Research shows that although mast cells are key effector cells in the pathogenesis of urticaria, targeting individual mast cell mediators is often not therapeutically effective

With reimbursement increasingly tied to quality measures and other metrics, the question of whether best practices actually produce improved outcomes has taken on greater importance for clinicians and their patients.

Improved control of allergic rhinitis with allergy immunotherapy can mitigate the development and severity of other allergic and respiratory diseases, leading to a reduction in the use of outpatient services.

New research suggests that patients with allergic rhinitis face significantly lower risks for heart attacks, cerebrovascular disease, and all-cause mortality.