Treatment of SSc fibroblasts in vitro with imatinib inhibited the expression and production of several extracellular matrix components, including both type I collagen alpha 1 (Col1a1), and alpha 2 Col1a2 chains as well as fibronectin-1 in a dose-dependent manner and did not induce compensatory changes in the expression of matrix metalloproteinases or of tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases [60,61]. This evidence concerns the gene FN1 and systemic sclerosis.