The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' Asthma and Allergic Disease Centers: a personal commentary.

This review describes the founding and major goals for the Asthma and Allergic Diseases Centers, a program launched by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 1971. The program was initiated to develop allergy and immunology programs across the United States. Over the past 35 years, the program has successfully increased the visibility of the subspecialty of allergy and immunology, supported allergy and immunology programs at medical schools across the country, and encouraged interdisciplinary efforts with other subspecialties in medicine.