• Paclitaxel induced FoxO3a and Bim expression in MCF-7 cells, both involved in apoptosis.• Knockdown of Bim decreased the susceptibility of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells to paclitaxel-mediated killing.• siRNA silencing of Bim reduced sensitivity of K562 cells to Taxol-induced cell death. The gene discussed is BCL2L11; the disease is non-small cell lung carcinoma.