In a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) induced by sodium dextran sulfate, increased expression of the Intercellular Adhesion Molecule (ICAM)-1 by MSCs have been shown to alleviate inflammatory damage in IBD mice, reducing colon shortening to levels closer to the control without IBD, in addition to halving the number of inflammatory cells when compared to the untreated IBD group. The gene discussed is ICAM1; the disease is inflammatory bowel disease.