Recent studies showed that several myloma cell lines express Bcl-2 protein at high levels (Pettersson et al, 1992), providing MM cells with survival advantage (Feinman et al, 1999), and that activation of STAT3 upregulates the expression of Bcl-XL (Catlett-Falcone et al, 1999). This evidence concerns the gene BCL2 and Miyoshi myopathy.