SIRT3 and pulmonary fibrosis: Jablonski et al. showed that bleomycin exposure to the Sirt3-/- mice augmented oxidant-induced mtDNA damage, apoptosis, and lung fibrosis while mice overexpressing Sirt3 had preserved mtDNA and were protected from bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis, highlighting Sirt3 as key element in maintaining the integrity of the AEC-mtDNA and a potential therapeutic target by preventing the mtROS injury and apoptosis in IPF [70].