Analysis of publically available RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data of lung tissue samples from IPF patients31 showed increased levels of fibrosis markers (Fig. 1a), including FN1, COL1A1, ACTA2, and snail family transcription repressors 1 (SNAI1, also known as Snail) and 2 (SNAI2, also known as Slug)17. This evidence concerns the gene SNAI2 and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.