Furthermore, since TFEB reportedly has a protective role against renal fibrosis, cisplatin nephropathy, renal ischemia/reperfusion injury, or diabetic nephropathy in mouse models34,59–61, it might be possible that the role and mechanism of the Akt/TFEB/TFE3 axis in cadmium toxicity that we have proposed are conserved in other renal diseases. Here, AKT1 is linked to diabetic kidney disease.