In support of this hypothesis, treatment with 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine restored lgr5 expression in a couple of colorectal tumor cell lines, with dramatic up-regulation in HCT116 cells that contain completely methylated lgr5, and middle or no upregulation in other cell lines containing partially or hardly methylated lgr5. This evidence concerns the gene LGR5 and colorectal neoplasm.