CD8A and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: While upregulation of PD‐1 has been demonstrated to restrict fibrotic remodeling and type I interferon tissue damage in experimental mouse models (Raju et al, 2019; Wang et al, 2019), it might represent a frustrated attempt to counteract autoimmune CD8+ T‐cell activation in end‐stage IPF lungs (McKinney et al, 2015; Pritykin et al, 2021).