This invention provides methods of inducing apoptosis in a bcl-6-expressing cell and methods of treating a subject with a cancer comprising a bcl-6-expressing cell, comprising administration of a composition that reduces the amount of the bcl-6 protein or of an mRNA molecule encoding same, a composition comprising a nucleic acid molecule complementary to or corresponding to a region of the mRNA molecule, or a vector expressing the nucleic acid molecule. In another embodiment, the present invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule having a sequence corresponding to or complementary to accessible regions of bcl-6 mRNA, and vectors, cells, compositions, and kits comprising same.