One of these compounds – ethyl 2-amino-6-bromo-4-(1-cyano-2-ethoxy-2-oxoethyl)-4H-chromene-3-carboxylate (designated HA14-1) – directly triggered apoptosis in Bcl-2-expressing leukaemia and lymphoma cell lines, and also enhanced the cytotoxicity of the antileukaemia drug cytarabine (Wang et al, 2000; Lickliter et al, 2003). This evidence concerns the gene BCL2 and leukemia.