CXCL12 and neoplasm: Functionally, they are known to regulate tumorigenesis, metastasis as well as abnormal angiogenesis, in association with tumor related growth factors, inflammatory components such as cytokines and ECM remodeling molecules such as C-C motif chemokine ligand 2, C-X-C motif chemokine 12, CXCR4, TGF-β, VEGF, PDGF, COX-2, and MMP (Zheng X. et al., 2017).