MMP9 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Thus, when the HCC cell lines HCCLM3 and Hep3B were cocultured with non-parenchymal cells (fibroblast and endothelial cells) they expressed more neo-angiogenesis-related markers (VEGFR2, VEGF, HIF-α), tumor-associated inflammatory factors (CXCR4, CXCL12, TNF-α) and epithelial–mesenchymal transition-related proteins (TGFβ, Vimentin, MMP9) compared with homogeneous spheroids formed by only HCC cells [100].