EZR and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: In addition, chronic lung diseases, such as COPD, are discussed in the context of a spectrum of EMT states [46], which would be reflected in our current study by the selective role of Ezrin-AKAP95-Yotiao in diminishing TGF-β1-induced collagen I deposition, without the restoration of E-cadherin, which was reflected by the induction of the EMT-driving transcription factors Snail and Slug.