Since bile acids were found to activate WNT signaling18,20, the major aberrant pathway in human CRC2, the relative expression of several WNT target gene mRNAs were measured, including Ccnd1 (encoding cyclin D1), c-Myc (encoding the MYC proto-oncogene), Mmp7 (encoding matrix metallopeptidase 7) and Axin2 (encoding axis inhibition protein 2), in colon non-tumor and tumor tissues of HBF and BF mice. The gene discussed is MMP7; the disease is neoplasm.