In the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) assay, PGC overexpression upregulated the epithelial marker (E-cadherin) and downregulated mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin, vimentin, fibronectin), metalloproteinases (MMP2 and MMP9), and associated transcription factors (Snail, Slug, and Twist) (Figure 1L–N), suggesting PGC was involved in EMT of GC cells. This evidence concerns the gene MMP9 and gastric cancer.