Weight loss and especially the loss of muscle mass is frequently seen in cancer patients as a result of cachexia-associated metabolic changes which seem to be mediated by secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines from cancer cells and from the immune system of the host, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and several interleukins (IL-6, IL-1β) [1]. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is cancer.