IL1B and malignant colon neoplasm: Besides blood cells, O3 demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in vitro on a human colon cancer cell line by inducing the expression of TNF-α, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and MMP-9 (both of which are involved in the breakdown of extracellular matrix and activation/cleavage of cytokines such as TGF-β and IL-1β) while reducing the production of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 [117].