Decoding the genetic and epigenetic basis of asthma

Asthma is a complex and heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. Alongside environmental factors, asthma susceptibility is strongly influenced by genetics. Given its high prevalence and our incomplete understanding of the mechanisms underlying disease susceptibility, asthma is frequently studied in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which have identified thousands of genetic variants associated with asthma development. Virtually all these genetic variants reside in non-coding genomic regions, which has obscured the functional impact of asthma-associated variants and their translation into disease-relevant mechanisms. Recent advances in genomics technology and epigenetics now offer methods to link genetic variants to gene regulatory elements embedded within non-coding regions, which have started to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying the complex (epi)genetics of asthma. Here, we provide an integrated overview of (epi)genetic variants associated with asthma, focusing on efforts to link these disease associations to biological insight into asthma pathophysiology using state-of-the-art genomics methodology. Finally, we provide a perspective as to how decoding the genetic and epigenetic basis of asthma has the potential to transform clinical management of asthma and to predict the risk of asthma development.

Automated summary

Asthma is a complex inflammatory disease influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified thousands of genetic variants associated with asthma, but most of these variants are located in non-coding regions, making it difficult to understand their functional impact and relevance to disease mechanisms. Advances in genomics technology and epigenetics have allowed for the identification of gene regulatory elements linked to genetic variants in non-coding regions, shedding light on the (epi)genetic mechanisms of asthma. This article provides an integrated overview of asthma-associated (epi)genetic variants and their connection to asthma pathophysiology using state-of-the-art genomics methodology. It also discusses the potential of decoding the genetic and epigenetic basis of asthma to transform clinical management and predict asthma risk.