CD44 and neoplasm: 6 However, histological staining revealed that infected group tumours had irregular borders with a large proportion of elongated, less cohesively packed cells (Figure 7d), a common feature of EMT related to tumour metastasis.19 Apart from elevated CD44, CD133, Mcl1, β-catenin and pNF-κB, these tumours also had high matrix metalloproteinases MMP2 and MMP7and Vimentin which are strong correlates of tissue invasion and metastasis (Figure 7e).