We are excited about the contents of our April issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. This issue has multiple articles that provide the practicing clinician with timely, pragmatic information to stimulate thinking that will translate to improved patient care. Two such articles are worthy of your particular attention as you browse through the pages of this issue.
The first, authored by Monica Lawrence, MD, John Steinke, PhD and Larry Borish, MD, FACAAI addresses the emphasis for this month’s issue – Biologics in Allergic Diseases. Their article provides an important overview of the biology of the current anticytokine drugs available for the treatment of allergic diseases. Understanding what is available and the mechanisms for each offers an opportunity to formulate individualized plans that can help develop an aptitude for which drug to use for which patient – an often daunting task.
The other article for your special consideration, written by Stanley Szefler, MD, FACAAI and Bradley Chipps, MD, FACAAI, presents a review on the challenges of treating asthma in children and adolescents. As we learned early in our careers, children are not “little adults”. They have physiological distinctions that makes proper care focused and sometimes unique. The authors review the challenges in comparative classification as well as measurement of airway caliber and airway inflammation. They compare therapeutic approaches for asthma treatment in children and adolescents versus adults. They finish by calling for additional research to improve diagnosis and effective management in this vulnerable and growing population of asthma patients.
As always, we welcome your thoughts and feedback about this issue and anything else related to the Annals. If you would like to comment specifically on a component of our journal, either pro or con – we welcome such comments and would like to publish those related to specific articles. You may send your comments directly to us, and we will upload those most relevant for publication. We look forward to hearing from you.
Gailen D. Marshall, Jr., MD, PhD, FACAAI
Editor-in-chief
