In addition, keloid fibroblasts might have an altered sensitivity to signaling by TGFβ,6 which induces trans-differentiation of fibroblast to myofibroblast.23 TGFβ is also a negative regulator of the expression of the catalytic subunit of telomerase hTERT24-27 and it is plausible, therefore, that TGFβ-mediated hTERT repression progressively increases as the keloid matures. The gene discussed is TGFB1; the disease is keloid.