Combining triptolide with ABT-199 is effective against acute myeloid leukemia through reciprocal regulation of Bcl-2 family proteins and activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

Bcl-2 inhibitors display an effective activity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but its clinical efficacy as a monotherapy was limited in part owing to failure to target other antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, such as Mcl-1. In this context, the combination strategy may be a promising approach to overcome this barrier. Here, we report the preclinical efficacy of a novel strategy combining ABT-199 with triptolide (TPL), a natural product extracted from a traditional Chinese medicine, in AML.