CASP9 and cancer: In cancers, mutations or dysregulation of caspase 9 can lead the cancer cells to survive despite DNA damage which contributes to tumor growth and resistance to treatments.94 To explore whether the apoptotic activity of BTHP is correlated to its ability to target caspase 9, we conducted a molecular modelling study toward caspase-9 (PDB id: 1NW9) (Fig. 9).