Transient Overexpression of Gremlin Results in Epithelial Activation and Reversible Fibrosis in Rat Lungs

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fibrotic disease of the lung parenchyma, without curative treatment. Gremlin is a bone morphogenic protein (BMP) antagonist, its expression being increased in IPF lungs. It has been implicated in promoting myofibroblast accumulation, likely through inhibited fibroblast apoptosis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. In the current study, we examined the effects of selective …