We hypothesized that MiaPaca2 cells exposed to FK866+β-lap would die by the same caspase-independent, but apoptosis-like programmed cell death pathway that occurs in β-lap-treated NQO1+ cancer cells.30 Exposing MiaPaca2 cells to 4 μM β-lap for 2 h resulted in significant apoptosis (41%); cells lacked caspase cleavage,9 and demonstrated μ-calpain activation by the formation of the 23 kDa active form of the small subunit of μ-calpain 48 h post-treatment (Figure 6c). This evidence concerns the gene NQO1 and cancer.