Regardless of a primary or secondary phenomenon in sporadic aortic aneurysms we hypothesize that the phenotypic switch of VSMCs increases the expression of MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 in ATAA and ATAAD, thereby aiding the degradation of elastin and collagen (Martin‐Blazquez et al., 2021). The gene discussed is MMP9; the disease is aortic aneurysm.