MMP9 and cancer: In liver cancer, this adipocyte-derived hormone impacts cancer growth and metastasis by downregulating gene expression levels of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK), IFN-inducible protein 10 (IP10), angiopoietin 1 and MMP-9 in liver tumors, as well as downregulating ROCK/IP10/angiopoietin 1/MMP-9/VEGF cell signaling in tumor tissue [95].