BMP receptor 2 inhibition regulates mitochondrial bioenergetics to induce synergistic cell death with BCL-2 inhibitors in leukemia and NSLC cells.

Background: Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling cascade is a phylogenetically conserved stem cell regulator that is aberrantly expressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSLC) and leukemias. BMP signaling negatively regulates mitochondrial bioenergetics in lung cancer cells. The impact of inhibiting BMP signaling on mitochondrial bioenergetics and the effect this has on the survival of NSLC and leukemia cells are not known.