NFE2L2 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Other DEGs common to humans and ferret of interest included the antioxidant enzyme sulfiredoxin-1 (SRX1), which was shown to be upregulated in the lungs of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf+/+) mice upon acute exposure to cigarette smoke, conferring a protective effect against oxidative stress, although was decreased in lung tissue from patients with advanced COPD [43].