MMP9 and cervical cancer: Previous studies [27,28] showed that the mechanisms through which HMGB1 promotes the development of cervical cancer may include the following: HMGB1-activated p38, JNK, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), which further activated MMP-2 and MMP-9, promoting the degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM), tumor invasion, and metastasis by forming a complex with RAGE.