Homoharringtonine regulates the alternative splicing of Bcl-x and Caspase 9, resulting in a decreased expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL and Caspase 9b with a concomitant increase in the levels of pro-apoptoticBcl-xS and Caspase 9a in various cancer cells. The gene discussed is CASP9; the disease is cancer.