TIMP1 and cancer: TIMP-1, a 28-kDa glycoprotein released by endometrial cells, fibroblasts and cancer cells, cooperates with MMPs to form noncovalent 1:1 stoichiometric complexes and plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis, progression and metastasis by inhibiting the matrix-degrading properties of endopeptidases or acts through FAK-PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways; increased expression of TIMP-1 is observed in CRC tissues and patient serum [1, 31–33].