Our study strengthened this concept by showing that hyperosmotic stress (a) initiated TNF release in human and murine cells (Figure 5), (b) enhanced SM-mediated cytotoxicity in a TNF-dependent manner (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7) and (c) efficiently killed cancer cells in combination with SM even when SM-induced TNF production was poor or absent (Figures 5 and 7). The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is cancer.