Reports in the media describing the discovery of "the asthma gene" or "a new vaccine for asthma" may be inaccurate and often raise patients' hopes unjustifiably. This article is a personal view of key areas in current asthma research, and it examines how they may impinge on the care of asthmatic patients in the next decade. I have tried to explain the thinking behind some of the approaches under study. I discuss the potential contributions of genetic studies, immunological approaches, and new therapeutic approaches.