Researchers also showed that high levels of epiregulin promoted the production of angiogenic factors such as VEGF both in ACC cell lines and in ACC tissue specimens, as well as in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs), concluding that epiregulin enhances angiogenesis in the primary tumor microenvironment and vascular permeability in the pre-metastatic lung microenvironment. The gene discussed is EREG; the disease is adrenal cortex carcinoma.