Interference between mitochondrial ROS, Nrf2 and WNT/β-catenin signaling has also been previously reported in COPD (and reviewed by Qu et al., 2019); mechanistically, we illustrate for the first time a ROS/NRF2/WNT signaling pathway as a potential mechanism for lung repair in response to DEP. Here, NFE2L2 is linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.