Bridging Rare to Common Diseases: Precision Medicine and the Transforming Landscape of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology

Abstract

Pediatric immunological and allergic conditions represent a broad spectrum, ranging from highly prevalent polygenic disorders (e.g., food allergy, atopic dermatitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis) to rarer monogenic primary atopic disorders. The management of these conditions has undergone a paradigm shift in recent years. Moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach, precision medicine aims to deliver the right treatment to the right patient at the right time. By integrating clinical phenotypes with molecular endotypes and using specific biomarkers and “Omics” techniques, scientists and clinicians can now employ targeted biological therapies that significantly improve patient outcomes. By identifying early therapeutic windows and specific biomarkers, pediatric specialists can implement personalized interventions that halt the atopic march and mitigate the global burden of chronic allergic diseases. By shifting the focus from symptom management to the neutralization of specific molecular pathways, it is now possible to achieve better disease control, reduce side effects associated with broad-spectrum treatments such as systemic corticosteroids, and improve the quality of life for patients with refractory allergic diseases. This review, generated during a seminar funded by the Clemens von Pirquet Foundation, aims to delineate the “rare to common” pipeline, illustrating how precision medicine tools, including multi-omics, biomarkers, and artificial intelligence methods, can connect mechanistic pathways across the immunological spectrum. (Figure presented.).