Contrarily to extracellular matrix proteins, other changes in proteins related to renal fibrosis, i.e. cytoskeletal-related proteins [48], have been adequately detected in our experimental setting and we speculate that the decrease in the expression of TUBB, CNN2, TPM1 and ACTB in HK-2 cells exposed to the diabetic-like microenvironment might also occur in proximal tubules of diabetic patients, thereby initiating cytoskeletal alterations leading to tubulointerstitial fibrosis. The gene discussed is TPM1; the disease is renal fibrosis.