Different FGF isoforms have differential affinities for HSPG.[102] Indeed, FGF signaling promotes survival and proliferation, and is suggested to maintain stemness in CRC.[103] Similarly, various isoforms of vascular endothelial growth factor can bind collagen such that MMP9‐mediated remodeling can prompt normally quiescent vasculature to undergo angiogenesis during cancer.[104, 105] Together, these findings suggest a pernicious link between inflammation, ECM remodeling, and the development/progression of IBD and CRC. This evidence concerns the gene MMP9 and colorectal carcinoma.