Nucleolin-binding to MMP-9 mRNA increases the production of the enzyme that by degrading extracellular matrix components promotes tumor metastasis, whereas in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells the increased levels of cytoplasmic nucleolin is directly related to overexpression of the bcl2 oncogene that blocks apoptosis. Here, MMP9 is linked to B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.