A study looked at how a type of vitamin A called all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) can make colorectal cancer cells die. They found that ATRA caused changes in the cells that are typical of a process called apoptosis, where cells self-destruct. The cells showed signs like shrinking, breaking apart, and their DNA getting chopped up. The researchers also saw that the amount of cell death increased with higher doses of ATRA and longer treatment times. Interestingly, the cancer cells seemed to mature before dying, suggesting that they go through a specific process of cell death called apoptosis.