MAL and benign neoplasm of large intestine: In the present study, we have demonstrated that a sequence within the MAL promoter close to the transcription start is hypermethylated in the vast majority of malignant, as well as in benign colorectal tumours, in contrast to normal colon mucosa samples which are unmethylated, and we contend that MAL remains a promising diagnostic biomarker for early colorectal tumorigenesis [12].