More recently, in a collagen gel co-culture system, with fibroblasts and CRC cells, Delaine-Smith's group demonstrated that fibroblast-derived TG2 (transglutaminase-2), a protein cross-linking enzyme, induced gel stiffening by formation of thicker collagen fibers and proposed a regulatory link between TG2 and LOX. This evidence concerns the gene LOX and colorectal carcinoma.