Deregulation of CCN1 may contribute to inflammatory pathologies, as CCN1 has been associated with chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis73, atherosclerosis74, diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy75,76, and inflammation-related cancers29, and targeting CCN1 with antibodies or siRNAs ameliorates disease symptoms in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis and diabetic retinopathy73,76. Here, CCN1 is linked to inflammation.