Antifibrotic Role of αB-Crystallin Inhibition in Pleural and Subpleural Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating disease characterized by myofibroblast proliferation and extracellular-matrix accumulation. IPF typically starts in subpleural lung regions, and recent studies suggest that pleural mesothelial cells play a role in the onset of the disease. The transition of mesothelial cells into myofibroblasts (mesothelio-mesenchymal transition) is induced by the profibrotic cytokine, transforming growth …