MMP13 and carcinoma: To identify novel candidate genes for CAC, our attention was centered on the core genes that are, on the one hand, poorly characterized in the field of CAC, and, on the other hand, associated with ECM remodeling susceptible to “inflammation-dysplasia-carcinoma” axis (Figure 1C,F), notably, Mmp13 (key node) and Adam8 (extracellular metalloprotease-disintegrin involved in ECM digestion and markedly associated with pathogenesis of gastrointestinal malignancies [27]) (Figure 2D).