Although whether IRES is activated in the face of eIF4E-dependent (cap-dependent) translation inhibition by ATRA is unknown, IRES-dependent BCL-2 translation protected leukemic cells from programmed cell death, and we found that AML cells might protect themselves from ATRA-induced cell apoptosis by increasing the translation of BCL-2 in compensation. This evidence concerns the gene BCL2 and acute myeloid leukemia.