When HIF-1α expression is stabilized, through hypoxia, it can induce MMP-2 expression, which degrades ECM, stimulating the expression of growth factors such as VEGF, which binds to its receptor VEGFR-2, initiating a series of processes, including angiogenesis, proliferation, and invasion, which will contribute to tumour growth23–31. Here, MMP2 is linked to neoplasm.