Given that mesangial cells do not show increased expression of these markers in response to human sera we are unable to demonstrate the use of TGF-β1 blockade using SB-431542 in a more physiological model, one future possibility may be to demonstrate that mesangial cells show increased expression of these markers in human kidney tissue, such as from kidney biopsies for patients with lupus nephritis or explore mouse models. Here, TGFB1 is linked to lupus nephritis.