MMP9 exacerbates atherosclerosis, myocardial fibrosis, cardiac injury by extracellular matrix degrade and autophagy inhibition, as well as plays a pivotal role in the progression of various diseases, serving as an important target for the treatment of cardiovascular disease (Bassiouni et al., 2021; Zhang, 2022). Here, MMP9 is linked to Myocardial fibrosis.