Additionally, HCC cells grown on FN-coated, LN-coated, or COL1-coated substrates with tunable stiffness exhibited similar changes in morphology and expression pattern in Snail (Additional file 3: Figure S2C), implying that matrix stiffness stimulation but no matrix proteins is responsible for these changes in malignant phenotypes. Here, SNAI1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.