PINK1 and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: In addition, knockout of PINK1 in alveolar type 2 AECs leads to an abnormal mitochondrial morphology and an increased susceptibility to fibrotic lung remodeling following viral infection, while changes in PINK1 expression and mitophagy are observed in IPF type 2 AECs (Bueno et al., 2015; Katzen & Beers, 2020).