The genetic risk for asthma and altered gene expression within the airway epithelium are closely linked, says a recent study. The study carried out by Max A. Seibold, professor of Pediatrics, and his colleagues at the National Jewish Health Center for Genes, Environment and Health revealed that genetic changes in a gene that forms the structure of mucus (MUC5AC) and another gene (FOXA3) that directs the production of mucus secretory cells. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, used genetic data from over 300,000 participants in the UK Biobank study, a large-scale biomedical database and research resource, to test whether genetically altered function of airway genes is associated with asthma risk.