Direct evidence for a role of IL-13 in human asthma has been reported by Gauvreau et. al. (European Respiratory Society, Berlin 2008, oral communication) who demonstrated that the anti-IL-13 mAb IMA-638 significantly inhibited allergen-induced early and late phase bronchoconstriction in patients with mild allergic asthma. This evidence concerns the gene IL13 and allergic asthma.