MMP9 and neoplasm: MMP9 also plays a role in the intravasation of the cancer cells to the blood vessels and lymphatics by helping the cancer cells degrade the vessel wall, following which the cancer cells adhere themselves to the vessel wall and then, with the help of MMP9 and highly proteolytic MT1-MMP, the tumor cells extravasate out of the vessels and migrate to the distant sites [18-19].