Persistent intestinal inflammation has been proven to facilitate colorectal carcinogenesis.26 In line with this view, we found that Acer3 deficiency promoted tumorigenesis in murine CAC (Figure 8), suggesting that Acer3 deficiency or an aberrant accumulation of C18:1-ceramide promotes colitis-associated dysplasia in colon likely by sustaining colonic inflammation. The gene discussed is ACER3; the disease is colitis.