Here we extensively demonstrate by using biochemical, functional, and histochemistry analysis, that Tert gene therapy (AAV9-Tert) in mice diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis leads to a more rapid regression of pulmonary fibrosis and improves pulmonary function as early as weeks 1 and 3 after treatment and this is maintained at the end-point of the experiment at week 8, when a significant percentage of mice show curation of the fibrosis. Here, TERT is linked to pulmonary fibrosis.