A recent study reports that scientists have found a gene that is strongly associated with an increased risk of asthma in children.
The study, published in the journal Nature, encompassed more than 2,000 children, and found that a gene called ORMDL3 was found at higher levels in the blood cells of children with Asthma.
Though the study did not determine how the gene was specifically related to increased risk of asthma, it indicated that the genes are found in primitive organisms such as yeast. The scientists opined that ORMDL3 may be a component of ancient immune mechanisms.
Source: BBC (7/4/2007)
Leave a Reply