DLK1 and colorectal cancer: The 5′(α)-promoter of the human DCLK1 gene is epigenetically silenced during colon carcinogenesis, thus resulting in a loss of expression of the canonical long (L)-isoform 1 (DLK1-L) in human colorectal cancers, however, human colorectal cancers express a short (S) isoform 2 (DCLK1-S), generated from an alternate (β)-promoter of the DCLK1 gene [429].