Moreover, studies have demonstrated that silencing of the lncRNA SNHG12 can not only enhance cancer cell apoptosis by increasing caspase-3 activity through upregulating miR-138 but also alleviate the resistance of NSCLC cells to anti-cancer agents (cisplatin, paclitaxel and gefitinib) by improving drug-induced apoptosis via upregulation of miR-181a, which suppresses the MAPK/Slug pathway and promotes caspase-3 and caspase-9 activities [62, 63]. This evidence concerns the gene CASP9 and cancer.