To investigate whether avicins can induce cell death via activation of the death receptor–Caspase-8 pathway, we exposed Jurkat cells and a promyelocyte leukemia cell line, NB4 cells, to various concentrations of avicin D for 24–72 h and analyzed the viability and activation of the Caspase-8 pathway. The gene discussed is CASP8; the disease is leukemia.