CHARLESTHATCHER/GETTYIMAGESBYAMBERDANCEWorldwide,65millionpeoplewithchronicobstructivepulmonarydisease(COPD)aregaspingforair—andwiththeWorldHealthOrganiza-tion(WHO)predictingthediseasewillvaultfromfifthtothirdintheleadingcausesofdeathgloballyby2030,theirbreathlessranksaresettoswell.Governments,scientistsandpharmaceuticalcompaniesaretakingseveralapproachestoeasetheburdenofCOPD,bothonthepatientsandonhealthcaresystems.COPDencompassesbothemphysemaandchronicasthmaticbronchitis;patientscansuf-fereitherproblemorbothsimultaneously.Emphysemaeatsawayatthelung’sairsacs,oralveoli,sothatlesssurfaceareaisavailableforgasexchange.Bronchitisconstrictstheairwaysenteringthelungsandclogsthemwithmucus.Thewindedmassesfaceadiseasethatisincur-able,evenforthosefortunateenoughtoreceiveaproperdiagnosisandtreatmentforsymptoms.SurveyssuggestthatCOPDisgrosslyunder-diagnosedinbothdevelopedanddevelopingnations.Peopledon’talwaysreporttherelevantclinicalsigns,andsomedoctorsdonotusespirometry,thegold-standardmethodofdiagnosis,becausetheycannotaffordthemachineorhaven’theardofit.Apatientundi-agnosedmeansapatientuntreated,whichcouldhastendeath.AlthoughreliablenumbersonglobalCOPDratesarehardtocomeby,theWHOestimatesthat90%ofCOPDcasesoccurindevelopingnations.COPDislikelytobecomeanespeciallyseriousproblemoverthecomingdecadesinChina,theworld’sbiggestproducerandcon-sumerofcigarettes.AboutathirdofChinesepeoplesmoke,amongthehighestratesintheworld.Smoking-relateddiseasesarethecoun-try’sbiggestkiller,andCOPDalonekillsnearlytwomillionpeoplethereeachyear.SmokingisthemajorriskfactorforCOPD,butitisnottheonlyone.Just15%ofsmokersdevelopthedisease.Presumably,theirgeneticmakeuppredisposesthemtolungmaladies.Scientistshaveknownfordecadesthatamutationintheenzymeα1-antitrypsin,foundin1–2%ofpeoplewithCOPD,putspeopleatgreaterrisk—especiallysmokers.Inthepastfewyears,ge