Among upregulated genes, midikine, Spp1, and gremlin1 were shown to function as positive regulators in IPF and during bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis (Pardo et al., 2005; Koli et al., 2006; Misa et al., 2017). The gene discussed is SPP1; the disease is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.