Applying genomics tools to identify therapeutic targets for asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, the susceptibility to which is strongly influenced by genetics. Genomics, the study of the human genome, is redefining the process for rapidly identifying novel therapeutic targets for asthma and other diseases. One approach is to search for polymorphisms in genes that increase susceptibility to the disease in order to identify genes and cellular pathways relevant to the disease process. In asthma, for example, regardless of the genetic factors that contribute to susceptibility, good drug targets could be found that affect epithelial integrity, allergic response, and the recruitment or activity of inflammatory cells. Such targets may consist of proteins that are specifically expressed in certain cell types, proteins whose expression is regulated during the disease process or proteins involved in the destructive process. This review discusses some of the genomics tools that can be used to identify new molecular targets, which in turn are useful in screening for novel compounds likely to affect diseases such as asthma.