Consistent with ARTN mediation of CRC cell proliferation and survival, DLD1 cells with forced expression of ARTN exhibited significantly elevated expression of cell cycle regulatory genes such as CCND1, CCNE1, CHEK2, CDK4 and CDC25A, and anti-apoptotic genes such as BCL2, CFLAR and TERT, but significantly reduced expression of the pro-apoptotic genes CASP7 and BAD (DLD1-ARTN vs. DLD1-Vec, Table 3). The gene discussed is CHEK2; the disease is colorectal carcinoma.