ZEB1 and oral submucous fibrosis: (2014) suggest that ZEB1 may participate in the pathogenesis of oral submucous fibrosis by activating the α‐SMA promoter and inducing myofibroblast transdifferentiation from buccal mucosal fibroblasts: silencing ZEB1 in fibrotic fibroblasts isolated from a patient suppressed the expression of α‐SMA and myofibroblast activity and inhibition of insulin‐like growth factor receptor‐1 could suppress ZEB1 activation in fibrosis.