MMP9 and neoplasm: Tumor cells that undergo death after IRFA release high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), which binds to the receptor for advanced glycosylation end-products, subsequently activating the ERK1/2 pathway and significantly upregulating the expression of MMP2, MMP9, and Cyclin E1, thereby promoting the progression of residual HCC cells (Zhou et al., 2023).