Abstract
This review provides an overview of genetic and pathological mechanisms associated with childhood asthma, focusing on the Gasdermin B (GSDMB) gene variant rs7216389. Accordingly, asthma is outlined as the most common chronic disease in children, with increased incidence in the worldwide community, critically important complications, and mortality related to severe manifestations, primarily exacerbations. The review provides a clinical definition of asthma exacerbation, briefly goes into the cost aspects, and explains the features of pediatric asthma compared to adult-onset asthma. It recognizes the influence of genetic factors such as single nucleotide polymorphisms at the 17q21 locus concerning asthma and its severe attacks while stressing the need to understand those genetic factors that could be potential targets for treatment. The review also stresses the difficulties in implementing the discovery in the clinic, and the potential of additional research dedicated to unveiling the relationship between genetic risk factors, environmental exposures, and immune reactions in the pathological process of childhood asthma. To this end, the current work should be viewed as an attempt to provide a broad overview of asthma pathogenesis and contribute to the development of novel hypotheses and therapeutic approaches in future studies.