In a study published in PLOS One, scientists identified a set of rare genetic variants that contribute to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk. COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide. While smoking is the main risk factor for COPD, genetic factors also contribute to lung function and disease risk. The researchers analyzed data from 300 people with COPD and from a control set of 300 smokers to identify a set of rare genetic variants associated with COPD. The findings of this study will contribute to our understanding of what causes COPD, and may lead to development of new treatment strategies.
The full article, “Targeted Sequencing of Lung Function Loci in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Cases and Controls” by Artigas et al. can be found on the PLOS One website. A summary of the article is provided by GenomeWeb.
