VCAN and neoplasm: Analysis of bulk tumour mRNA displayed a strong correlation between ACTA2, a marker of MSCs, and matrix remodelling enzymes (MMP2), ECM proteins (VCAN, FN1, COL1A1), immunomodulatory molecules (Serpine1, CXCL12), innate immune cell markers (CD14, ITGAX) and adaptive immune cell markers (CD4) (Figure 2A).