Furthermore, over-expression or knockdown of MMP-14 promoted or suppressed the VEGF expression in gastric cancer cells, respectively (Figure 3E, F, G and H), suggesting that as a direct downstream gene of MMP-14, the change of VEGF expression in sub-cytotoxic MJ-treated cancer cells may be due to the down-regulation of MMP-14. This evidence concerns the gene VEGFA and cancer.