Although FAS has been shown to be shed by MMP-7 in tumour cells [31], and addition of recombinant MMP-7 to hVSMCs did increase levels of sFAS (WRE unpublished data), we were unable to inhibit sFAS production with adenoviral overexpression of TIMP-1 or -2 which are potent inhibitors of MMP-7 [32]. This evidence concerns the gene MMP7 and neoplasm.