RHO and cancer: ECM stiffening also promotes growth, survival, migration, and proliferation of cancer cells via integrin ligation and engagement of the Rho-ROCK, PI3K, and MAP/ERK signaling pathways (135) and acute compressive stress such as that encountered in the microenvironment during early stages of epithelial tumor growth can activate Rho-ROCK signaling and downstream actomyosin tension to enhance proliferation and generate an EMT profile (136).