Bcr-Abl and inhibition of apoptosis in chronic myelogenous leukemia cells

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells are highly resistant to apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic drugs. The observation that production of Bcr-A bl is the initiating event in CML has focussed attention on the survival si gnals triggered by this oncogene. A number of signal transducers and transc ription factors have been associated with the antiapoptotic phenotype of CM L cells, some of which lead to the expression and/or activation of members of the Bcl-2 family of apoptosis modulators, such as Bcl-x(L) and Bad. In t his article, recent advances in understanding the antiapoptotic pathways tr iggered by Bcr-Abl in CML cells, are discussed.