The results showed that the treatment of both HeLa and SiHa cells with GSPs for 48 h resulted in significant increase in caspase-3 activity in a dose-dependent manner (Fig. 5E and F), suggesting that the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells induced by GSPs occurred through the activation of the caspase-3 pathway. The gene discussed is CASP3; the disease is cervical carcinoma.