In corroboration with our findings, high HPSE1 expression induced head and neck cancer progression (Cohen-Kaplan et al., 2008) and mammary adenocarcinoma cell invasion and metastasis correlated with loss of E-cadherin and gain of MMPs 2 and 9 levels (Welch et al., 1990). Here, HPSE is linked to breast adenocarcinoma.