Activated MMPs, such as MMP8 and MMP9, which were up-regulated in both RA and T2D in our study, can degrade the assembly of junctional proteins, leading to the opening of inter-endothelial cell contacts, allowing agranulocytes to transmigrate between adjacent endothelial cells to reach the underlying tissue [42]. The gene discussed is MMP8; the disease is rheumatoid arthritis.