Importantly, distally-derived fibroblasts from severe COPD patients demonstrated a more contractile phenotype in this study, probably due to enhanced ROCK1 activity [18], than fibroblasts from control subjects, and treatment with iloprost attenuated the contractile capacity to the same level as fibroblasts from control subjects in the present study. The gene discussed is ROCK1; the disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.