MMP9 and cancer: This NF-κB activation is important both for protection against apoptosis and for MMP-9 secretion [36], which is implicated in cancer cell invasion [37] and vasculogenic mimicry, two major criteria of cancer cell aggressiveness; and activated NF- κB represses apoptosis by inducing the expression of anti-apoptotic genes including cIAPs, FLIP, TRAF-1, TRAF-2, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL [38].