BCL2 and cancer: The major downstream effects of PIM kinase signaling include: (i) increased cancer cell survival and decreased apoptosis through the phosphorylation of pro-apoptotic protein BCL2 associated agonist of cell death (Bad), (ii) increased proliferation via the regulation of cell cycle progression, (iii) the regulation of Myc transcriptional activity, (iv) the promotion of cellular motility and metastasis, and (v) maintaining cancer cell stemness, all of which are consistent with promoting tumorigenesis and tumor maintenance (Figure 1)