In a study published in Cell, the researchers used the framework to investigate asthma and uncovered a previously underappreciated biological pathway connected to the disease. Modern genetic studies can identify hundreds or even thousands of DNA variants associated with conditions such as asthma. The team applied the framework to asthma, a chronic respiratory disease characterized by airway inflammation, variable airflow obstruction and heightened sensitivity to environmental triggers. The analysis highlighted protein palmitoylation, a chemical modification that attaches fatty acids to proteins, as a potentially important pathway in asthma. The researchers’ findings suggest that this pathway may contribute to asthma in ways not captured by conventional gene-prioritization methods.