Even more, cell supernatants containing proteins larger than 3 kDa were unable to enhance the etoposide-induced increase in caspase 3/7 activation, whereas those supernatants containing smaller TGFBI fragments increased caspase activation similar to that induced by treatment of NSCLC cells with recombinant TGFBI protein. This evidence concerns the gene TGFBI and non-small cell lung carcinoma.