TGFB1 and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: To test this hypothesis, we investigated the impact of E2 on TGF-β1-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), characterized the expression of ESRs in bronchial epithelial cells and lung tissue from individuals with IPF, and performed RNA-Seq analysis to identify targets of E2 in bronchial epithelial cells.