Reading the monocyte code in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

<title>Extract</title> While fibroblast-mediated aberrant wound-healing responses remain central to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) [1, 2], increasing evidence implicates immune cell dysregulation in the initiation and progression of fibrotic remodelling [3]. In particular, monocytes and macrophages are among the main immune drivers of fibrosis development, as they secrete pro-fibrotic mediators that can contribute to fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition. In this issue of the <italic>European Respiratory Journal</italic>, K<sc>arampitsakos</sc> <italic>et al.</italic> [4] extend our understanding of the role of monocyte subpopulations in human and experimental lung fibrosis.