Moreover, downregulation of the lncRNAtaurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) possiblycontributes to the progress of DKD by activating endoplasmic reticulum stress andpodocyte apoptosis (Shen et al., 2019).Interestingly, TUG1 upregulation reduced the production of ECMproteins and inhibited cell proliferation in STZ-induced DM rats as well as in highglucose (HG)-treated mesangial cells (MCs)viainhibition of PI3K/AKTpathway. This evidence concerns the gene TUG1 and diabetes mellitus.