YAP-regulated TGF-β-induced profibrotic SMAD2/3 signaling is inhibited by a soft matrix, but enhanced by a stiff matrix: pharmacologic inhibition of YAP with VP inhibited TGF-β-induced SMAD2/3 signaling in vitro in rat kidney fibroblasts as well as the progression of renal fibrosis in vivo in a murine unilateral ureteral obstruction model (Szeto et al., 2016). The gene discussed is SMAD2; the disease is renal fibrosis.