The M3 cluster (16.5% of M-genes) contains the transcription factors TWIST1 and TWIST2, growth factors HFG and FGFR1, two Mitogen-activated protein kinases, MAP3K3 and MAPK7, which are over-expressed in tumors,26 and the Insulin-like growth factor-binding IFGBP3, which has complicated relationship with cancer progression depending on cancer type.27–29 M3 genes responded to ZEB1 more than TGF-β (Mann–Whitney U-test, p = 2.32e−7) with no significant difference in ZEB1 response in the absence of TGF-β (Mann–Whitney U-test, p = 0.09) (Fig. 3c). Here, ZEB1 is linked to cancer.