Myeloid cell leukaemia‐1 is a highly expressed anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 protein in cancer that protects cells from apoptosis by binding to Bax and Bak, pro‐apoptotic members of the Bcl‐2 family, thereby blocking mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, cytochrome c release, and the activation of the caspase cascade 20. The gene discussed is BAK1; the disease is cancer.