In addition to promoting tumor growth by several mechanisms that include apoptotic regulation and cytoplasmic signaling modulation, AFP may also mediate suppression of the anti-tumor immune response, as it interacts with macrophages to decrease their phagocytic activity, inhibits the activity of natural killer cells, reduces proliferation of T-lymphocytes and promotes the activity of T-suppressor cells [30]. The gene discussed is AFP; the disease is neoplasm.