Our group has showed that α-MSH can inhibit tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced upregulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in human melanocytes and melanoma cells (Hedley et al, 1998b; Morandini et al, 1998) and reduce interactions between cytokine-stimulated melanoma cells and T lymphocytes (Hedley et al, 2000). The gene discussed is ICAM1; the disease is melanoma.