Arresting the Inflammatory Drive of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia with Ibrutinib

Ibrutinib arrests the chronic inflammatory drive supporting CLL. Within the lymph node, the bidirectional interactions between the CLL cell and inflammatory immune populations (e.g., macrophages, PD1⁺ T cells, Th17 cells) aid and abet CLL maintenance and expansion (top). Ibrutinib revokes the inflammatory milieu, normalizing immune activation states and exiling CLL from the lymph node (bottom). Image courtesy of Steven Moskowitz.