However, Tan et al [36] reported that potent caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk causes significant reduction of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and PARP cleavage, but fails to prevent Triptolide-induced cell death in breast cancer cells MCF-7, suggesting that Triptolide-induced apoptosis is probably mediated through multiple mechanisms and pathways in addition to mitochondria-mediated pathway and caspase cascade. The gene discussed is PTK2; the disease is breast carcinoma.