MMP9 and neoplasm: CAFs promote tumor growth and invasion secreting proangiogenic factors (i.e., VEGF-A and MMP-9) [170], proinflammatory molecules (i.e., SDF-1, IL-6, and IL-1β) [171], and several growth factors (i.e., TGF-β, platelet-derived growth factor, PDGF, and basic fibroblast growth factor, bFGF) [172, 173].