ZEB1 and cancer: However, Matsumura et al. found that fibroblasts could promote the generation of clusters of diverse cancer cell populations, with an epithelial phenotype (Ehi) characterized by high E-cadherin levels and low ZEB1 levels and a mixed epithelial-mesenchymal phenotype (E/M) characterized by low E-cadherin levels and high ZEB1 levels [87].