By using a lineage-tracing assay, it was found that DCLK1 marked tumor stem cells that continuously produce tumor progeny rather than normal stem cells in the intestine, and specific ablation of DCLK1-positive tumor stem cells lead to significant regression of polyps without significant damage to the normal intestine (Nakanishi et al., 2013). This evidence concerns the gene DCLK1 and neoplasm.