MMP2 and cancer: VE-cadherin on tumor cells can activate PI3K through the ERK1/ERK2 pathway which subsequently activates the metalloproteases MMP14 and pro-MMP2, resulting in remodeling of the ECM to enable cancer cells to be reorganized into vessel-like tubes (Paulis et al., 2010; Delgado-Bellido et al., 2017).