MMP9 and polycystic ovary syndrome: Consistent with our findings, MMP9 is overexpressed in PCOS, closely associated with ovarian cyst formation and follicular atrophy (Dambala et al., 2019), and its expression can be modulated by pharmacological treatment (Shamsi et al., 2023; Yu et al., 2022), underscoring its significant role in the pathophysiology of PCOS.