One Year With WAO Journal

One year ago at the World Allergy Congress in Bangkok, the new Journal of the World Allergy Organization (WAO) was officially launched; the first issue of WAO Journal appeared in January 2008. In several aspects, this was a major move and a great decision for WAO: After 20 years with Allergy Clinical Immunology International (first Allergy Clinical Immunology News)VJournal of World Allergy Organization (ACIIJWAO), the board of directors decided to open totally new doors and launch a new electronic-only journal. We can reach 30,000 practicing allergists worldwide via e-mail, allowing a much higher degree of flexibility and actuality. On the other hand, many of our readers still like paper and have to get used to the new electronic style. We believe, however, that this is the future of scientific communication and interchange! Both forWAO and for the publisher, it is an experiment; there are still just few electronic-only journals as official organs of national or international specialty societies. However, we are confident that WAO is on the road to success. With approximately 40 articles published in this first yearVmost of them of highest qualityVWAO covered large parts of the broad spectrum of the interdisciplinary field of allergy, both in research and clinics. WAO is in progress; under the new president, Walter CanonicaVin the succession of Mike Kaliner, Carlos Baena Cagnani, Allen Kaplan, Gunnar Johansson, and so many famous allergistsVthe organization has become the leading force in international allergology, achieving much more than organizing a large congress every other year.WAO is the platform for everybody who wants to contribute to advance excellence in patient care, research, and education in the field of allergy and clinical immunology. Not only WAO is in progress, but also allergy is rapidly developing. The bad news first. There is still an increasing prevalence of many allergic diseases all over the world, also in countries where these diseases were rather rare 20 years ago. At the same time, allergic diseases become more and more complex and difficult to diagnose and treat; furthermore, there seems to be an age shift with not only children and young adults affected but more and more adults and elderly persons suffering from severe allergies. Allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) has considerably improved in quality and efficacy and safety; however, it is applicable only to a small number of allergic patients. So many people are suffering from allergies, where ASIT does not exist or is not available. Johannes Ring (Editor in Chief) Lanny Rosenwasser (Co-editor in Chief) EDITORIAL