The N protein of SARS-CoV-2 was proven to increase the α-SMA expression in human fibroblast line 1 (HFL-1) type cells, which act as myofibroblasts which release ECM proteins, such as collagen, TGF-β1, some types of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP), and thus, promote lungs fibrosis [33,34]. Here, TIMP1 is linked to pulmonary fibrosis.