The top three upregulated proteins were syntaxin 6 (STX6), stearoyl- CoA desaturase 5 (SCD5) and paralog of XRCC5 and XLF (PAXX, formerly C9orf142), each of which have been associated with roles in CRC or other solid malignancies [21–24]. Here, NHEJ1 is linked to colorectal carcinoma.