Genetics for Pulmonologists: The Molecular Genetics Basis of Pulmonary Disorders

Our understanding of the relationship between genetics and pulmonary disorders is still developing. In 1989 cloning of the gene that, when mutated, causes Cystic Fibrosis marked a great advance in the study of genetic diseases. Yet, over a decade later, understanding of how this genetic defect leads to colonization by bacteria and inflammation in the lung remains elusive. This is proving to be an engaging area of investigation for many medical professionals, with research into the effects of these genetic variations on various diseases in progress. Genetics for Pulmonologists provides an overview of lung diseases for which the genetic defect has been defined as of June 2001. It is an easy-to-use manual with concise reviews of genetic diseases that a pulmonologist might encounter.