THE FUTURE OF ASTHMA

Reports in the media describing the discovery of ''the asthma gene'' o r ''a new vaccine for asthma'' maybe inaccurate and often raise patien ts' hopes unjustifiably. This article is a personal view of key areas in current asthma research, and it examines how they may impinge on ti le care of asthmatic patients in the next decade. I have tried to expl ain the thinking behind some of the approaches under study I discuss t he potential contributions of genetic studies, immunological approache s, and new therapeutic approaches.