SMAD2 and neoplasm: In hepatic fibrosis, NLRC5 is highly expressed in fibrotic liver tissue, and decreased expression was observed in the reversal stage through the NF-kB signalling pathway [36]; NLRC5 is also highly expressed in human keloid-a fibrotic tumours characterized by extensive ECM deposition and hyperproliferation of fibroblasts in the skin, and NLRC5 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation and ECM deposition involving transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and Smad2/3 [37].