STAMBP and Arthritis: Given the broad distribution of melanocortin receptors in various tissues and organ systems, melanocortin receptor ligands, particularly α-MSH, and melanocortin receptor agonists have been studied in an array of preclinical models of inflammatory diseases including arthritis, liver inflammation, allergic airway inflammation, pancreatitis, brain inflammation, renal and lung injury, colitis, and ocular inflammation (Brzoska et al., 2008; Ahmed et al., 2013).