The goal of a new study published in Nephron was to determine the role of microRNA – miR302a-3p, in the process of renal epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The findings revealed that the expression of miR-302a-3p, 513a-5p, 1291 and the other 17 miRNA were increased significantly in HK-2 cell line after high glucose stimulation; whereas, miRNA490-3p, 638, 3203 and the other 19 miRNA were decreased significantly. In vitro, miR-302a-3p expression in HG group increased at 6-hour and peaked at 12 and 24 hours, and then gradually decreased from 48 to 72 hours. In contrast, ZEB1 protein expression gradually decreased from 6 to 24 hours and then gradually increased from 48 to 72 hours. Meanwhile, overexpression of miR-302a-3p suppressed expression of ZEB1 in the post-transcriptional level and reversed high glucose-mediated downregulation of E-cadherin and upregulation of vimentin. On the other hand, loss of miR-302a-3p expression can lead to EMT of HK-2 cells just as high glucose stimulation. Further study demonstrated that the expression of circulating miR-302a-3p was significantly increased in the diabetes mellitus (DM) with normoalbuminuria compared to control and then decreased in DM with microalbuminuria. Additionally, its expression in DM with macroalbuminuria was decreased significantly compared with DM group. Furthermore, circulating miR-302a-3p had negative relevance with UAE in DNE group and DNC group; circulating miR-302a-3p had positive relevance with eGFR in DNC group. The findings of this study indicated that miR-302a-3p may play a protective role by targeting ZEB1 in renal EMT in DKD. Hence, it was stated that miR-302a-3p may serve as a potential novel target in pre-EMT states for the amelioration renal fibrosis seen in DKD.