Using chemical inhibitors, it was shown that the ICP27-mediated activation of p38 signalling can stimulate the apoptotic pathways.108 However, during a viral infection, p38 also mediates the destabilization of Bcl-2 to prevent apoptosis; this process also requires ICP27 expression.111 ICP27 might alternate between pro- and anti-apoptotic activity by changing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in the course of reactivation from a latent state.112 To summarize, ICP27 is an important regulator of host cell fate. Here, BCL2 is linked to viral infectious disease.