Activated fibroblasts isolated form tumours or fibrotic tissues present a globally hypomethylated DNA profile that strikingly contrasts with a hypermethylated pattern of the promoters of tumour-suppressor genes such as Thy1, tgfbr2 or PTEN24, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50. Here, TGFBR2 is linked to neoplasm.