Therefore, protection from drug-induced apoptosis by CD40L in NHL cells occurs through a caspase dependent pathway for anthracyclins, etoposide, paclitaxel and vinblastin, but through a caspase independent pathway for CDDP and for the resistant Raji cell line, presumably at a convergent point of apoptosis induction for all cytotoxic agents downstream of caspase-3. The gene discussed is CASP3; the disease is non-Hodgkin lymphoma.