TERT and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Moreover, approximately 37% of familial and 25% of sporadic cases of IPF without TERT and TERC mutations are associated with lengths of telomeres lower than the 10th percentile compared to the general population [61]; impairment of telomerase expression in IPF reveals a differential function played by the enzyme in fibrogenesis vs. carcinogenesis.