TGF-β treatment induced a significant increase of α-SMA mRNA expression in both SSc- and HC-MSC when compared with UT cells [α-SMA mRNA levels in TGF-β SSc-MSC 11.90 (9.36–15.87) vs UT SSc-MSC 7.53 (6.94–7.94); p < 0.0001; α-SMA mRNA levels in TGF-β HC-MSC 1.66 (1.14–2.48) vs UT HC-MSC 1.05 (0.84–1.18); p < 0.0001]. Here, ACTA1 is linked to systemic sclerosis.