This exploratory analysis connected many of the upregulated proteins in tumors to pirfenidone, a drug generally used for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis known to inhibit TGF-β signaling, a pathway de-regulated in malignant gliomas, and also to reduce the tumor extracellular matrix63,64. This evidence concerns the gene TGFB1 and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.