This aligns with other research demonstrating that miR-21-5p upregulation in response to oxidative stress contributes to renal fibrosis and exacerbates cellular damage by targeting genes involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, such as Metalloprotease-9 (MMP9) and Metallopeptidase Inhibitor 3 (TIMP3) [35]. This evidence concerns the gene MMP9 and renal fibrosis.