Asthma drugs are sometimes not responded to, and genetic differences could be the reason why.
A new study conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School discovered that asthma patients who inherited two copies of a particular gene variant were much less likely to respond to steroid inhalers compared to those with two copies of the more common version of the gene.
The researchers looked at the genetic data of over 1,000 people who were involved in a variety of asthma treatments. They analyzed data of asthmatic children and their parents in order to identify genes that could be involved in response to inhaled steroids like AstraZeneca's budesonide and Flovent.
Findings showed that people with two copies of the genetic variant GLCCI1 were less likely than others to respond to treatment.
"This finding helps to explain the genetic basis for the long-standing observation that some people do not respond well to what is a common asthma treatment," said Dr. Susan Shurin of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, as quoted by Reuters. "The study illustrates the importance of research examining the relationship between genetic makeup and response to therapy for asthma, and underscores the need for personalized treatment for those who have it."
The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
