While it has initiated DNA fragmentation via activation of BAX and inhibition of BCL2 and BCL-XL (encoded by the BCL2L1 gene) in laryngeal carcinoma Hep-2 cells and colon carcinoma HL-60 cells33,61, a decrease in BCL2 without alteration in BAX was reported in another study using U937 leukemic cells24. Here, BCL2L1 is linked to laryngeal carcinoma.