BAK1 and Barrett esophagus: Our study found increased expression of anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL) and upstream apoptosis regulators (cIAP2 and FLIP), along with decreased expression of pro-apoptotic genes (Bad, Bax, and Bak), in both Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) tissues compared to normal esophageal tissues from obese patients.