Specifically, we examined the effect of TNF-α on melanoma cell general proteolytic enzyme expression and expression/activation of MMPs -2 and -9 and studied the extent to which degradative enzymes are involved in the TNF-α induced cell responses by looking at the effect of the general protease inhibitor α2 macroglobulin on TNF-α stimulated cell migration and invasion. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is melanoma.