In line with a co-evolutionary model of neoplastic and non-neoplastic stromal cells, we identified many genes that were concomitantly induced in ECs and tumour cells in the angiogenic phenotype, and some of these showed the highest number of putative protein to protein interactions (FN1, THBS1, CD44, ITGA4, CTGF). This evidence concerns the gene CCN2 and neoplasm.