MMP2 and neoplasm: To explore the molecular mechanism by which EGFL8 regulates malignant cell behavior and tumor progression in human OC, quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) and confocal microscopy were performed to determine whether EGFL8 inhibits the expression of EMT-regulating transcription factors (TFs)—specifically, the pivotal EMT-TFs Snail, Twist1, and zinc-finger E homeobox-binding 1 (ZEB1); vimentin, a key biomarker of EMT; and matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs) such as MMP-2 and MMP-9.