For example, the long lasting compressive stresses that remain in the airway compartment after a non-fully reversible episode of bronchoconstriction (Brook et al., 2010) would explain an abnormal reinforcement of the ECM by deposition of fibronectin in the small airways in mild to moderate COPD, but also the buckling of the collagen fibers observed by second harmonics generation by Tjin et al. (2014). The gene discussed is FN1; the disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.