CASP3 and cancer: However, co-culture experiments performed with MCF7 cells that are deficient for caspase-3 revealed that both total (Fig. 2i, l) and irradiated cell population (Fig. 2j, n) also exhibited a significant increase of AV+D7− and AV+D7+ cells (as compared to control cells), thus indicating that irradiated cancer cells can also die through caspase-3-independent death.