This book consists of contributions from the most prominent experts in this field. In the first section the general principles of combination treatment are discussed, from rationale and methodology to benefits of risks in daily practice. The second section concerns specific diseases. It is striking that although there is so much experience with combining DMARDS in RA, for several other autoimmune diseases combination therapy has not yet been developed. Denton and Black, on the other hand, are able to add a refreshing new meaning to the term "combination therapy" in systemic sclerosis by pointing out the aetiologies beyond those caused by immunopathology, and dealing with combinations of therapy to address issues beyond immunotherapy.The last section is devoted to the future and the editors hope to come back in 2010 with an issue which will look back and determine whether the predictions of Brooks, Moore, Huizinga and Breedveld have come true.