MMP9 and cancer: Furthermore, the nicotine-induced α7-nAChR elicits alterations in gene expressions that are consistent with evasion of cell death, cancer cell survival, and metastasis, namely Bcl-xL, MCL-1, and Survivin, which belong to the BCL2 family of regulators of apoptosis that enhance cell survival via inhibiting apoptosis [37]; ROCK1 and RhoA, which are key regulators of cell polarity, cell adhesion, and cell motility [38]; as well as MMP2 and MMP9 (Figure 3).