Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Moving Forward-Rapidly

摘要

The past few years have seen an unprecedented period of almost exponential growth in insights into the pathobiology of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) accompanied by the translation of targeted therapy into the clinic. This issue of Seminars in Hematology summarizes these advances in the areas of cell signaling, genetics, immunology, the development of preclinical models, and clinical translation.Stevenson, Forconi, and Packham discuss the meaning and relevance of B-cell receptor structure and function in CLL. They review a large body of data that supports the concept of CLL as a malignancy of antigen-responsive B cells. They conclude that the differential balance between antigen-induced proliferation or anergy is a likely determinant of clinical behavior and possibly of response to novel agents.