This cancer cell line has been previously characterised by our group for the expression of the four EGF-related growth factor receptors (EGFR, ERBB2, ERBB3 and ERBB4) and of three VEGF receptors (VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3), as well as for the expression of three EGFR ligands (amphiregulin, EGF and TGFα) and of three VEGFR ligands (VEGF-A, VEGF-B and VEGF-C), by using quantitative RT–PCR (Martinelli et al, 2010). This evidence concerns the gene AREG and cancer.