The invention relates to methods for inducing a pro-asthma/pro-inflammatory like state in a resident tissue cell, comprising contacting the cell with one or more cytokines, e.g., IL-.beta., TNF.alpha. or both. Methods are also disclosed for identifying genes that regulate responses to anti-inflammatory drugs, to methods for drug screening, and to methods for identifying genes that correlate with various pro-asthma/pro-inflammatory disease phenotypes.