In BL cells, we showed that the apoptotic signaling cascade involved degradation of the caspase-8 inhibitory molecule c-FLIPL, the activation of caspase 8, which cleaves BID, and the activation and relocalization to the mitochondrial membrane of BAX, which, together with BAK, participates in mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) leading to the release of CYT C and SMAC/DIABLO from the mitochondria into the cytosol. The gene discussed is CASP8; the disease is Burkitt lymphoma.