Concomitantly, TGF-β-induced expression of several profibrotic markers in these SSc fibroblasts, including fibronectin (12.8 ± 3.77 vs 37.0 ± 12.2 ADU, p = 0.0014), collagen type I (27.4 ± 4.37 vs 51.7 ± 21.6 ADU, p = 0.0469), TIMP-1 (0.314 ± 0.148 vs 1.77 ± 1.06 ADU, p = 0.0192) and α-SMA (1.76 ± 0.230 vs 4.89 ± 0.245 ADU, p < 0.0001; Fig. 1C&D), were statistically lower with siCCN2-treatment than with siNTC treatment. Here, ACTA1 is linked to systemic sclerosis.