TGFB1 and pterygium: The researchers reported that low-dose local mitomycin C injection resulted in downregulation of IL-18 and IL-1β expression through the activation of the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway, which in turn reduced the expression of TGF-β1, VEGF, and IL-6. They observed that this effectively reduced the recurrence rate of pterygium by inhibiting fibroblast proliferation and neovascularization [27].