CLU and renal fibrosis: In the present study of the transition of IRI to renal fibrosis, the data show that CLU deficiency does not affect the kidney weight or atrophy (Fig. 1), but it is associated with a decrease in the number of intact tubules (Fig. 6), and at the same time with an increase in the cellular infiltrates in the interstitial spaces (CD8 T cells and macrophages) and α-SMA+ myofibroblasts (Figs. 5, 7 and 8), suggesting that the survival and/or proliferation of different kidney cells, particularly tubular epithelial cells versus (myo) fibroblasts, may be regulated by CLU differently.