MiR-224 functions as an oncogene in NSCLC by directly targeting TNFAIP1 and SMAD4. Caspase 3 (CASP3) and caspase 7 (CASP7) are targets of miR-224 in NSCLC, and miR-224 partly promotes lung cancer cells proliferation and migration by directly targeting CASP7 and downregulating its expression; miR-224 attenuates TNF-α induced apoptosis by directly targeting CASP3, which results in a reduced cleaved parp1 expression in lung cancer cells and suggests a oncogenic role for miR-224 in lung cancer pathogenesis [47]. Here, CASP3 is linked to lung cancer.