A total of 96-scientists from 63-centres in Europe and Australia have been able to find 5-genetic variants linked to the health of the human lung, helping throw new light on the molecular basis of lung diseases.

Their findings are of great significance, as it is hoped they will help provide better treatment for lung diseases like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma.

Till now, the molecular pathways affecting lung health were not completely understood; however, knowledge about these new pathways and how genetic factors determine an individual’s lung function, will help in the development of drugs to target it.

Identification of genes that are important in determining lung function will be useful for scientists in unravelling the underlying mechanisms controlling both lung development and damage.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects around 1 in 10-adults in the 40-plus age group, and is believed to be the fourth most common cause of death, worldwide.

Smoking is a major risk factor for COPD development, with lung function and COPD clustering within families, a sure indication that variations in genes predispose individuals to reduced lung function.

The study has been published in Nature Genetics.