Finally, both CRP and FFV PEVs significantly upregulated gene expression of ECM components (e.g. MMP14, MMP16, collagen type V alpha 1 chain, versican) as well as the genes SERPINE1 and PMEPA1, which are associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in various cancer types [54–56]. Here, SERPINE1 is linked to cancer.