Among the molecular characteristics that typify this cancer, severalstudies have highlighted the dependence of AML cells on the anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2and subsequently established how that specific dependency can be exploited fortherapeutic effect using BH3 mimetics1, 2, a class of compounds thataffords direct inhibition of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family members3. The gene discussed is BCL2; the disease is acute myeloid leukemia.