In a search for new anticancer agents, we identified that 2[[3-(2,3-dichlorophenoxy) propyl]amino]ethanol (2,3-DCPE) induced apoptosis more effectively in various cancer cells than in normal human fibroblasts. We further evaluated the cell-killing effects of this compound in vitro in several human cancer cell lines and normal human fibroblasts. A cell viability assay showed that IC(50)s for human colon cancer cell lines LoVo and DLD-1, for human lung cancer cell lines H1299 and A549, and for normal human fibroblasts were 0.89, 1.95, 2.24, 2.69, and 12.6 micro M, respectively. Subsequent studies revealed that 2,3-DCPE could cause cleavage of caspase-8, caspase-3, caspase-9, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and release of cytochrome c in cancer cells but not in normal human fibroblasts. Our data also showed that 2,3-DCPE attenuated the protein level of Bcl-XL and that apoptosis induction by 2,3-DCPE could be blocked by enforced overexpression of Bcl-XL. Our results suggest that 2,3-DCPE might be a potential new anticancer agent.