CASP3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Cleavages of pro-caspase and PARP are the markers of apoptosis17, 18, western blot assay found GRAMD1A overexpression inhibited the activation of caspase 3 and the cleavage of PARP, but the expression of an anti-apoptotic protein BCL-XL was increased (Fig. 2g), suggesting GRAMD1A increased the drug resistance of HCC by inhibiting apoptosis.