Pioneering medical research spearheaded by the University of Leicester has shed new light on the cause of lung disease.

Academics hope their findings will help with the development of new treatments for conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Genetic samples from 20,000 people worldwide were examined for the study which involved 96 scientists at 63 centres in Europe and Australia.

The international consortium was led by Dr Martin Tobin from University of Leicester's health sciences and genetics department, along with Professor Ian Hall from the University of Nottingham.

The study, which is published in National Genetic today was part-funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Asthma UK.

Dr Tobin said: "This work is important because until now we have known very little about the genetic factors that determine an individual's lung function.

"By identifying the genes important in determining lung function, we can start to unravel the underlying mechanisms."

He added: "This will lead to a better understanding of diseases such as COPD and asthma."

Scientists who worked on the study said they did not expect it to immediately lead to genetic tests to predict who will develop lung disease as further studies would be required.