These are consistent with recent studies that BKM120 elevated Bim expression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells42 and induced Bax expression and caspase-3/7 activation in glioma cell lines, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and ER-positive breast cancer cells.19, 43, 44 It is well known that AKT is a central node in the PI3K signaling pathway that activates a number of downstream pathways implicated in tumorigenesis. This evidence concerns the gene AKT1 and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.