Upregulation of EPO/EpoR signaling pathway in the early phase can reduce renal injury, and downregulation of EPO/EpoR signaling after the acute phase can reduce autophagic flux, maintain autophagy–apoptosis balance and peritubular capillary integrity, and promote recovery from renal injury, thereby inhibiting renal fibrosis (Shi et al., 2018). The gene discussed is EPO; the disease is renal fibrosis.