METTL14 orchestrates fibrosis through divergent mechanisms: MAPK/ERK activation via TUG1 regulation in diabetic kidney disease, Sirt1 suppression in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, and BPTF-driven glycolytic reprogramming in RCC (Zhang et al., 2021; Lu et al., 2021; Zheng et al., 2023). Here, TUG1 is linked to diabetic kidney disease.