NANOG and cancer: As reported previously [13], common changes in untreated MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines grown in PDS cells were decreased expression of proliferation genes (MKI67, CCNA2 and CCNB2), and a profound increase in pluripotency markers (NANOG, POU5F1, SOX2 and NEAT1) as well as CSC markers (CD44, LGALS3 and MALAT1) compared to 2D cultures (Figs. 5A and  2B).