The TGF‐β/Smad signalling pathway may be a viable therapeutic target for treating renal fibrosis.7, 8, 9 Treatments that manipulate TGF‐β/Smad signalling have shown beneficial effects in the kidneys of laboratory animals.10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 However, this treatment is not available in current clinical practice because of several associated problems, such as safety issues and immunological tolerance. This evidence concerns the gene TGFB1 and renal fibrosis.