2012 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript

This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2012. The NHGRI Director and many genomics experts from across NHGRI took questions from students, teachers and the general public on topics ranging from basic genomic research, to the genetic basis of disease, to ethical questions about genetic privacy.

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In a person that has both, can allergies conflict with asthma?
     Belen Hurle, Ph.D.: I am a Research Fellow in NHGRI's Genome Technology Branch and a Program Director in NHGRI's Intramural Training Office. I study primate genomes as a means to enhance our understanding of human evolutionary biology. Asthma and allergic diseases are complex conditions caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Do allergies cause asthma? The answer to this question is: yes and no. People who have certain kinds of allergies are more likely to have asthma.But not everyone who has allergies develops asthma. And not all cases of asthma are related to allergies. If you have asthma, it's a good idea to look at whether allergies may be triggering your symptoms.
Tredyffrin Easttown Middle School in PA (6th grade student)

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