A study done using xenografted pancreatic cancer cells revealed that heparanase inhibitor PG545 significantly increased apoptosis via cleaved caspase 3, along with decreased cell proliferation, reduced microvessel density, disrupted vascular function, and elevated intratumoural hypoxia.16 To consolidate our finding of increased apoptosis, the cells were subjected to fluorescent staining for cleaved caspase 3/7 after 72 hours of gene silencing. This evidence concerns the gene CASP3 and familial pancreatic carcinoma.