BCL2 and leukemia: The Bcl-2 protein has been reported to regulate mitochondrial metabolism, leading to reduced ATP and ROS production, including through OxPhos.38 Previous studies have shown that in acute leukemia, leukemia stem cell (LSC) populations often exist in a quiescent cell cycle state with low energy production, relying more on oxidative phosphorylation than glycolysis for energy generation.39 These LSCs tend to express higher levels of BCL-2.