The data revealed that the encapsulation of co-culture spheroids within Fmoc-SAP hydrogels and the interaction of tumour cells and fibroblasts with signalling sequences present on scaffold fibrils enhanced the metabolic activity of tumour spheroids, promoted invasiveness of cancer cells via reductions in vinculin expression, enhanced cellular migration and induced EMT by decreasing alpha-SMA expression. This evidence concerns the gene VCL and cancer.