Among the genes in this gene set is SPOCK1, an extracellular proteoglycan that induces epithelial to mesenchymal transition through the TGF‐β1 pathway,18, 41 with mesenchymal transition being an important mechanism of airway remodelling and SPOCK1 representing a potential novel target in lung fibrosis. Here, TGFB1 is linked to pulmonary fibrosis.