TGFB1 and pulmonary fibrosis: In support of its role in pulmonary fibrosis, the selective gene transfer of TGF-β into AECs induces fibrotic responses ex vivo, whereas blocking TGF-β-signaling in experimental models of lung injury attenuates pulmonary edema and fibrosis (Nakao et al., 1999; Lee et al., 2004; Peters et al., 2014; Dadrich et al., 2016).