Leukemia cell proliferation and death in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients on therapy with the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND. Ibrutinib is an effective targeted therapy for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that inhibits Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), a kinase involved in B cell receptor signaling. METHODS. We used stable isotopic labeling with deuterated water (²H₂O) to measure directly the effects of ibrutinib on leukemia cell proliferation and death in 30 patients with CLL. RESULTS. The measured average CLL cell proliferation ("birth") rate before ibrutinib therapy was 0.39% of the clone per day (range 0.17%-1.04%); this decreased to 0.05% per day (range 0%-0.36%) with treatment. Death rates of blood CLL cells increased from 0.18% per day (average, range 0%-0.7%) prior to treatment to 1.5% per day (range 0%-3.0%) during ibrutinib therapy, a

SUBMITTER: Burger JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5256142 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature