Consistent with this, in the IL-10−/− chronic colitis model, Spry2 is elevated in colonic homogenates from adult animals with active inflammation versus young (pre-colitic) littermates (Fig. 8d), and these mice express reduced levels of tuft (Trpm5) and goblet cell (Muc2) markers in the distal colon. The gene discussed is SPRY2; the disease is Chronic colitis.