Bcl-2 oncoprotein expression in acute myeloid leukemia.

Abstract

The majority of blasts from AML patients express the oncoprotein Bcl-2, which is able to protect leukemic cells from apoptosis. Since numerous chemotherapies are cytotoxic in that they induce apoptosis, we feel that in vitro studies of cells from AML patients are necessary in order to broaden our knowledge about the effects of the most common therapeutic drugs and of those substances which, alone or in association, can modulate Bcl-2 expression.