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). Here, MMP2 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.