Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects up to 20% of children worldwide and is an increasing
public health problem, particularly in developed countries. Although AD in infants
and young children can resolve, there is a well-recognized increased risk of sequential
progression from AD to other atopic diseases, including food allergy (FA), allergic
rhinitis, allergic asthma, and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, a process referred to
as the atopic march. The mechanisms underlying the development of AD and subsequent
progression to other atopic comorbidities, particularly FA, are incompletely understood
and the subject of intense investigation. Other major research objectives are the
development of effective strategies to prevent AD and FA, as well as therapeutic interventions
to inhibit the atopic march. In 2017, the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation
of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases sponsored a workshop
to discuss current understanding and important advances in these research areas and
to identify gaps in knowledge and future research directions. International and national
experts in the field were joined by representatives from several National Institutes
of Health institutes. Summaries of workshop presentations, key conclusions, and recommendations
are presented herein.