After 14 days of BLM treatment, ATII cells from Gas6−/− mice exhibited modifications in EMT markers' mRNA levels caused by BLM, including α-SMA, N-cadherin, and E-cadherin, as well as increases in transcription factors that regulate EMT, including Snai1, Zeb1, and Twist1, when compared to WT control mice (Fig. 7a and b). Here, CDH2 is linked to Bloom syndrome.