HGF and neoplasm: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the predominant stromal cells of TME, modulate tumor progression by secreting various pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 [8], IL-8 [8], TGF-β [9], hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) [10], vascular cell adhesion molecules-1 (VCAM-1) [11], and chemokines (CXCL12, CXCL14, CXCL1) [12–14].