The mechanisms of apoptosis induction are diverse and may depend on the cell type.20 In mouse acute lymphoid leukaemia cells L1210, various human melanoma cell types, and human breast carcinoma cells MCF-7 have been shown that staurosporine induces apoptosis through both, rapid caspases dependent, and slow, caspase independent pathway.21–23 In cultured rat astrocytes, the exposure to 10−7 M staurosporine for 3 hours has induced delayed, caspase-3 dependent apoptosis.24 Our study expands these observations, as in addition to apoptosis, we induced necroptosis as well (Figure 2B). The gene discussed is CASP3; the disease is breast carcinoma.