MMP9 and cancer: AP‐2 and TP53 regulate MMP‐2 transcription, while NF‐κB, PEA‐3 and AP‐1 regulate MMP‐9 transcription.43, 44, 45 Here, we interestingly found that the transcription factor of IRF1 simultaneously regulated both MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 in oesophageal cancer cells, possibly at the transcriptional level that requires future investigation, thus affecting cancer metastasis.