This approach aligns with the proposed therapeutic use of GM-CSF in COVID-19 (Lang et al., 2020; Bosteels et al., 2022), as GM-CSF would impede or limit the MAFB-dependent upregulation of pro-fibrotic and neutrophil-attracting factors observed in severe COVID-19 (Simón-Fuentes et al., 2023). This evidence concerns the gene MAFB and COVID-19.