The blocking of BIM and PUMA upregulation by EBV has important implications for BL pathogenesis as it has been shown that deregulated c-MYC expression can sensitise cells to apoptosis and that this predisposition must be overcome for BL to develop.65 Therefore, EBV infection of a preneoplastic cell bearing a c-MYC chromosomal translocation would be predicted to accelerate tumour development by blocking BIM and PUMA upregulation. The gene discussed is MYC; the disease is Burkitt lymphoma.