Investigations from Roudsari and colleges on lung adenocarcinoma cancer cells (344SQ) with endothelial cells and pericytes encapsulated in cell-adhesive, proteolytically degradable poly(ethylene) glycol-based hydrogels, show that 344SQ formed spheroids in hydrogels and secreted proangiogenic growth factors that significantly increased with exposure to transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), a potent tumor progression-promoting factor. Here, TGFB1 is linked to neoplasm.