Thus, while blockade of IL-6 signaling attenuates pulmonary fibrosis (Le et al., 2014), IL-6 protects against oxidant-induced death of alveolar epithelial cells, and it regulates surfactant homeostasis in ATII cells (Kida et al., 2005; Matsuzaki et al., 2008). The gene discussed is IL6; the disease is pulmonary fibrosis.