As vital gatekeepers of the TME, tumor endothelial cells (TECs) are the primary barrier to immune-stimulatory cells which promote the loss of anti-cancer immunity (20–23), TME-derived cytokines such as VEGF, ET1, FGF-2, and EGFL7 function to inhibit tumor endothelial ability to upregulate the expression of chemoattractants (i.e. CXCL7, CXCL10, IL-6, and CCL2) and adhesion molecules (ICAM1 and VCAM1), consequently promoting immunosuppression and tumor progression (20, 23–26). The gene discussed is VEGFA; the disease is cancer.