Notable among these were: Cd248 (endosialin), which is involved in developmental and tumour-associated neovascularisation19, and has been shown to be upregulated in atherosclerotic vessels of ApoE−/− mice20; Mmp2, Mmp3, Mmp14, Mmp23, Egfr, Pdgfra, Il33, Sox9 and Cd34, which were recently reported to be more highly expressed in tissue-resident EPCs than in mature endothelial cells5; Ace and Agt, which are members of the angiotensin-renin system; and various well-known growth factors, cytokines and chemokines that are pro-angiogenic (Cxcl12, Csf1, Vegfa, Il6) or lymphangiogenic (Vegfc). This evidence concerns the gene CXCL12 and neoplasm.