Furthermore, quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that F1 and F2 cells exhibited a statistically significant decrease in expression of epithelial markers (CK20, EpCAM), and increased expression of mesenchymal (VIM), EMT transcription factors (SLUG, SNAI1) and cancer stem cell markers (ZEB1, L1CAM) (Fig. 1f). This evidence concerns the gene VIM and cancer.