Downregulation of ZEB1 in some of these non-epithelial cells is linked to the development or exacerbation of various physiopathological conditions and diseases (e.g., corneal dystrophy, muscle atrophy, muscular dystrophy, osteoporosis, post-ischemic brain damage and, shown here, atherosclerosis plaque formation) and transient or stably ZEB1 overexpression has been used to treat these conditions in preclinical models30,36,82–84. Here, ZEB1 is linked to corneal dystrophy.