VIM and renal fibrosis: Numb affects endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) by negatively regulating the Notch signaling pathway, which leads to a decrease in the expression of endothelial cell markers (such as E-cadherin and CD31) and an increase in the expression of mesenchymal cell markers (such as α-SMA and vimentin), thereby participating in the pathological process of DKD and mediating renal fibrosis and disease progression (69).