The increase of MMP-2 and the decrease of TIMP-1 under tumour control is unexpected, since a common assumption is that enhanced activity of MMP-2, the classical basement membrane collagenase, leads to tumour growth and metastasis, while TIMP-1 as a crucial inhibitor of many MMPs should rather curtail tumour expansion (Nagase and Woessner, 1999). The gene discussed is TIMP1; the disease is neoplasm.