In addition, apatinib can also downregulate the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and the phosphorylation of protein kinase B, induce the apoptosis and inhibit the proliferation of multidrug-resistant HL-60 leukaemia cells, and increase the killing effect of paired doxorubicin treatment on leukaemia cells with high expression of ABCB-1 [22, 23]. This evidence concerns the gene MAPK3 and leukemia.