VIM and infection: Interestingly, innate immune sensing genes were particularly increased in the epithelial compartment, suggesting a connection between the activation of this pathway in epithelial cells and the development of an innate immune response.30 Genes that contributed to the observed increase in this signature included DDX58, OAS1 and MAVS, which are essential for antiviral innate immunity.31 NLR family proteins have been implicated in innate immune sensing of microbes and infection-associated physiological changes,32 and were specifically upregulated in the vimentin segment during tumour progression.