CCDC116 is a 515 amino acid protein that exists as two alternatively spliced isoforms. Encoded by a gene that maps to human chromosome 22q11.21, CCDC116 is induced by curcumin (diferulolylmethane), although its role is unclear. CCDC116 is significantly affected by dietary curcumin, which may have a protective role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and may reduce the relapse rate in human ulcerative colitis (UC). As the second smallest human chromosome, chromosome 22 contains over 500 genes and about 49 million bases. Phelan-McDermid syndrome, Neurofibromatosis type 2 and autism are associated with chromosome 22. A schizophrenia susceptibility locus has been identified on chromosome 22 and studies show that 22q11 deletion symptoms include a high incidence of schizophrenia. Translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 may lead to the formation of Philadelphia Chromosome and subsequent production of a novel fusion protein known as BCR-Abl, a potent cell proliferation activator found in several types of leukemia.