Genetic susceptibility to lung disease: idiopathic bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis causes ongoing inflammation and damage to the lungs but is not life threatening. Most people who get bronchiectasis develop it sometime after age 50. Main symptoms include over-production of mucus and chronic coughing. Some people are more likely to develop this condition than others, but we don’t understand why; for 4 out of 10 people who develop bronchiectasis, there doesn’t seem to be a clear cause. In this project, scientists will study if differences in certain genes make some people more likely to develop bronchiectasis than others. These findings could be used to identify people who are more likely to get bronchiectasis, so that earlier treatment could decrease the problems related to having the condition.