Furthermore, although detectable in a nontransformed melanocyte cell line and in sun-exposed healthy skin, respectively, expression of [HECTD2-AS]HERVH-1 and THE1A[CDH4-AS] was still significantly elevated in melanoma cell lines and biopsies, supporting the notion that disregulated or exaggerated melanocyte-specific transcriptional patterns underlie melanoma specificity of at least some of the melanoma CLTs. The gene discussed is HECTD2; the disease is melanoma.