Asthma is a classic example of gene-environment interaction. A host of environmental triggers, from cigarette smoke to cockroaches, can set it off. A dozen or so genes for various molecules, including cytokines, have been implicated in asthma and related disorders such as eczema. The question is: How do these environmental triggers and the disease-implicated genes communicate?
It's a question quite a few want to answer. Researchers are using genetic screens and positional cloning, and some are looking at the evolution of allergens. One group of collaborators found multiple polymorphisms in the gene ADAM33--a discovery that raises even more questions. In Finland, researchers conducted a genome scan of a homogenous population and found linkage in a region of chromosome 7 for three phenotypes. In New York, researchers have started a gene bank for phenotypic data on patients with asthma.
Many could benefit from successful research. According to the National Institutes of ...
