VIM and breast cancer: Consistent with these results obtained from breast cancer cell lines, transient transfection of LIF to human colorectal cancer cell line HCT116 clearly increased the mRNA expression levels of mesenchymal markers (Vimentin and N-cadherin) and decreased the expression levels of epithelial marker E-cadherin (Supplementary Figure 3), suggesting that LIF promotes EMT in different types of tumors.