MMP2 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Furthermore, IVC suppresses the transcriptional activity of VE-cadherin, EphA2, MMP2/9/14, PI3K, and LAMC2, as well as the protein expression of VE-cadherin, EphA2, and MMP2/9, thereby blocking tumor cell adhesion, ECM degradation, and the maintenance of vascular-like structures in HCC (Zhang et al., 2015).