Abstract: A disintegin and metalloprotease (ADAM ) 33, located on the short arm of chromosome 20 (20p13), was recently identified through a genome-wide scan for asthma. It is a new member of a family of genes encoding a group of the metalloproteinase superfamily called the ADAM family. The proteolytic activity of the ADAMs plays important role in the healthy and disease states. The identification of ADAM33 as a candidate gene for asthma may provide a newly therapeutic target for asthma.