CASP9 and cancer: NEs prepared from Pinus morrisonicola needle EO with mean particle size 41.16 nm exhibited a higher inhibition of HT-29 cancer cells compared to normal HFF cells, pronouncedly upregulated caspase-3, caspase-9, VEGF/VEGF-R, CAT, and SOD genes, and caused the apoptotic death of cancer cells, which was reflected in increased sub-G1 peaks [148].