There are several future research opportunities generated by this study that will be important for the general pulmonary research community. First, additional characterization of functional variants in any and all susceptibility genes identified here will be required. This will involve resequencing these genes to identify specific mutations followed by further biochemical or physiological studies to define the functional impact of these variants using animal models. Second, longitudinal investigation of all cases and controls recruited for COPDGene will provide new insights into the natural history, epidemiology and the genetic basis of COPD. This would include improved understanding of the GOLD 1 and GOLD U groups, plus assessment of risk factors for COPD progression, morbidity, and mortality.
