This is important from two points of view; first, because Bcl-2 family of proteins control a variety of cellular functions and therefore, the possibility of them being manipulated by the parasite is high and, second, Bcl-2 is already an established drug target in diseases like cancer where it is upregulated (26, 27), and therefore, if functionally important could also be considered as a drug target in leishmaniasis. This evidence concerns the gene BCL2 and cancer.