Genetic Variant, Independent of Smoking, Is Risk Factor for COPD
A single alteration in the sequence of the CHRNA5 gene that leads to inflammation, tissue remodeling, and abnormal repair of airway cells was found, in a recent study, to be a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Notably, this gene variant is involved in nicotine-responding/dependent pathways, but was…