To this end, IPF-lung myofibroblasts were treated with a pan-MMP inhibitor, batimastat (10 μM), or with a control-vehicle (0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)), for 24 h., and the levels of sFasL from the culture medium or mFasL from the cultured cells were assessed by a Western blot analysis as detailed in the methods. This evidence concerns the gene FASLG and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.