Some features of apoptosis, not observed in MRC-5 cells (Fig.7 A–B), appear to be induced in human astrocytoma (1321N1) cells upon exposure to 2OHOA, such as the flow cytometry sub-G0 peak, poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) (Fig. 7 C) or caspase 8 partial proteolysis (Fig. 7 D), the latter also observed in U118 cells after treatment with 2OHOA (Fig. 7 H). This evidence concerns the gene CASP8 and astrocytoma (excluding glioblastoma).