Thus, it appears that the function of ORMDL3 may vary considerably depending on the cell type, and, therefore, it will be important to first know whether the 17q21 asthma-risk SNPs in fact affect the expression of ORMDL3 in these cell types; this information will allow determination of whether these cell types are the dominant factors driving the 17q21-related genetic risk of asthma. Here, ORMDL3 is linked to asthma.