Heatmap analysis revealed upregulated VIM and PLK1 mRNA expression in TGF-β-treated adenocarcinoma when the mesenchymal markers CDH2, SNAI1, and SNAI2 were high and either CDH1 or OCLN (epithelial markers) was low in majority of LUAD cells analysed (Fig. 1e). Here, VIM is linked to adenocarcinoma.