To examine whether the significant inhibition of breast cancer cell growth after DBD-CAP treatment was due to induction of cell apoptosis, we examined the mRNA levels of two key apoptosis-associated mitochondrial proteins, namely the proapoptotic Bax and the antiapoptotic Bcl-2, and evaluated the changes in their ratio since an elevated Bax/Bcl-2 ratio indicates the induction of the intrinsic cell apoptotic pathway (42). This evidence concerns the gene BAX and breast carcinoma.