Renal
fibrosis is the common and final pathological process of
kidney diseases. As a dynamic and reversible post-translational modification, SUMOylation and deSUMOylation of transcriptional factors and key mediators significantly affect the development of renal
fibrosis. Recent advances suggest that SUMOylation functions as the promising intervening target against renal
fibrosis, and natural products prevent renal
fibrosis via modulating SUMOylation. Here, we introduce the mechanism of SUMOylation in renal
fibrosis and
therapeutic effects of natural products. This process starts by summarizing the key mediators and
enzymes during SUMOylation and deSUMOylation and its regulation role in transcriptional factors and key mediators in renal
fibrosis, then linking the mechanism findings of SUMOylation and natural products to develop novel therapeutic candidates for treating renal
fibrosis, and concludes by commenting on promising therapeutic targets and candidate natural products in renal
fibrosis via modulating SUMOylation, which highlights modulating SUMOylation as a promising strategy for natural products against renal
fibrosis.