Thus, the combination of temozolomide or fotemustine with PARP-1 inhibitors in clinical trials (Helleday et al., 2008) or with NF-κB inhibitors (e.g. sulfasalazine, in clinics for inflammatory bowel diseases) may confer potent anti-tumor efficacy and improve the therapeutic index by hypersensitizing melanoma cells to DNA damage while preventing the deleterious side effects. The gene discussed is NFKB1; the disease is melanoma.