CASP3 and neoplasm: In our experiments, cisplatin treatment of 3D-cultured oral cancer cell spheroids resulted in concentration-dependent cell separation from the spheroids (tumor disintegration), attenuation of E-cadherin, and increased expression of cleaved caspase-3, an activator of the apoptosis-inducing factor caspase-3, in both cell lines (Fig. 3,5).