Asthma genetics study finds new gene

A novel gene associated with the asthma susceptibility in African Americans was revealed by a U.S. consortium of asthma genetics researchers, including Esteban G. Burchard, MD, MPH, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, UCSF Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine. The study also revealed four genes associated with asthma susceptibility that were previously reported in a study of European asthma cases but found to be associated for the first time with asthma risk in three ethnic groups—providing additional evidence that gene variants are significant across ethnicities. The study appeared online July 31, 2011, in Nature Genetics.

Research paper

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of asthma in ethnically diverse North American populations

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New Asthma Risk Gene Emerges from Study of Diverse Populations