Currently, there are no therapies that attempt to restore deficient IFN levels in the treatment of asthma; however, recently, inhaled recombinant IFNβ therapy has been used in a Phase II clinical trial examining naturally occurring infections in a cohort of mild–moderate asthmatics.25 Encouragingly, in a subset of patients, IFNβ therapy reduced symptoms and improved lung function recovery time post-infection compared with placebo. The gene discussed is IFNB1; the disease is infection.