Inhibition of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members by BH3 mimetics is a promising strategy for cancer therapy, and BH3 mimetics with specificity for Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Bcl-w, such as ABT-263, have been tested in clinical trials for patients with hematological malignancies. Here, BCL2L1 is linked to cancer.