Mutations in TERT and TERC account for 8-15% of familial and 1-3% of sporadic cases [18,19], but short telomere length is a more common finding in IPF - with sporadic IPF cases displaying significantly shorter telomeres compared to age-matched controls - even in the absence of telomerase mutations [20]. Here, TERC is linked to idiopathic interstitial pneumonia.