Collectively, these data suggest that the addition of IOX2 to an in vitro model of liver fibrosis, i.e., TGFβ1-induced HSC activation, simulates the hypoxic processes that play an important role in liver fibrosis, as evidenced by the induction of hypoxia-relevant genes and the observed aggravated disease phenotype. The gene discussed is TGFB1; the disease is Hepatic fibrosis.