BCL2L2 (Bcl-2-like protein 2, Bcl-w) is an anti-apoptotic protein involved in NGF- and BDNF-dependent neuron survival. BCL2L2 is overexpressed in the ischemic brain, particularly in the mitochondria of neurons in the penumbal cortex but also in reactive astrocytes, and is thought to have neuroprotective functions against neuronal death. BCL2L2 also modulates neuronal excitability via GABA-mediated currents, which are disrupted in seizures. In cancer, BCL2L2 is positive in glioblastoma, gastric cancer and colorectal adenocarcinoma, and is thought to contribute to the stem-ness and aggressiveness of tumor cells. In immunohistochemistry of normal tissue, BCL2L2 has cytoplasmic positivity in all tissues. References: Development. 2001 Dec;128(23):4715-28, PMID: 11731452; Development. 2001 128: 447-457, PMID: 11152643; J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2000 Mar;20(3):620-30, PMID: 10724126; Front Cell Neurosci. 2014; 8: 281, PMID: 25324720; Oncotarget. 2015 Jul 30; 6(21): 18429–18444, PMID: 26155940;