CASP3 and neoplasm: Although many researchers indicated that heat-killed probiotics (6) and their fraction (cell-free supernatant) (24) can increase mRNA levels of caspase-3 gene in the tumor cell line, we demonstrated that if L. GG cytoplasmic fraction was loaded on the MINPs, it could induce apoptosis in vivo via activation of the caspase-3 protein.