Correspondingly, our data strongly suggest that the sclerotia of P. cocos exert cytotoxicity against human lung cancer cells by the promotion of apoptosis mediated by the caspase-3-dependent mitochondrial pathway, and further support our notion that the isolated compounds, which are considered as the main constituents of the sclerotia of P. cocos, are responsible for the cytotoxicity. This evidence concerns the gene CASP3 and lung cancer.