The pathogenesis of colon cancer is unclear. It is proposed that TIM1 has an association with human cancer. The present study aims to investigate the role of TIM1 activation in the inhibition of human colon cancer cells. In this study, human colon cancer cell line, HT29 and T84 cells were cultured. The expression of TIM1 was assessed by real time RT-PCR and Western blotting. The TIM1 on the cancer cells was activated in the culture by adding recombinant TIM4. The chromatin structure at the FasL promoter locus was assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation. The apoptosis of the cancer cells was assessed by flow cytometry. The results showed that human colon cancer cell lines, HT29 cells and T84 cells, expressed TIM1. Activation of TIM1 by exposing the cells to TIM4 significantly increased the frequency of apoptotic colon cancer cells. The expression of FasL was increased in the cancer cells after treating by TIM4. Blocking Fas or FasL abolished the exposure to TIM4-induced T84 cell apoptosis. In conclusion, HT29 cells and T84 cells express TIM1; activation TIM1 can induce the cancer cell apoptosis. TIM1 may be a novel therapeutic target of colon cancer. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.