CASP3 and cancer: The iron chelators could arrest the cell cycle, induce ROS formation and ER stress leading to apoptosis, affect mitochondria and dysregulate cellular energetics and reverse many hallmarks of cancer cells [29] The treatment with DFP for 48-72 h in RD cells caused an increase in ROS and mitochondrial ROS leading to the intrinsic apoptotic cell death (with caspase-9 and consequently caspase-3 activation and the positivity to Annexin).