Current state and prospects of artificial intelligence in allergy.

Journal: Allergy
Published Date:

Abstract

The field of medicine is witnessing an exponential growth of interest in artificial intelligence (AI), which enables new research questions and the analysis of larger and new types of data. Nevertheless, applications that go beyond proof of concepts and deliver clinical value remain rare, especially in the field of allergy. This narrative review provides a fundamental understanding of the core concepts of AI and critically discusses its limitations and open challenges, such as data availability and bias, along with potential directions to surmount them. We provide a conceptual framework to structure AI applications within this field and discuss forefront case examples. Most of these applications of AI and machine learning in allergy concern supervised learning and unsupervised clustering, with a strong emphasis on diagnosis and subtyping. A perspective is shared on guidelines for good AI practice to guide readers in applying it effectively and safely, along with prospects of field advancement and initiatives to increase clinical impact. We anticipate that AI can further deepen our knowledge of disease mechanisms and contribute to precision medicine in allergy.

Authors

  • Merlijn van Breugel
    Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergology, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
  • Rudolf S N Fehrmann
    Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
  • Marnix Bügel
    MIcompany, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
  • Faisal I Rezwan
    Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
  • John W Holloway
    Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
  • Martijn C Nawijn
    Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
  • Sara Fontanella
    Section of Paediatrics, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
  • Adnan Custovic
    Section of Paediatrics, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
  • Gerard H Koppelman
    Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergology, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.