Commentary

Video

Dr Cortese on Potential Mechanisms for Improving CLL Outcomes With Venetoclax

Fact checked by:

Matthew Cortese, MD, MPH, discusses the rationale for an analysis of the immunologic activity of venetoclax in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

“I wanted to…look at patients…with CLL who receive venetoclax in a standard-of-care setting to see if we could tease apart…the beneficial immunologic effects of that treatment.”

Matthew Cortese, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of oncology in the Department of Medicine – Lymphoma and the Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, discussed the ways that his research goals informed the rationale for conducting a multiomic analysis investigating the immunologic activity of venetoclax (Venclexta) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Cortese works in the lab of Francisco Hernandez -Ilizaliturri, MD, at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, where Cortese’s goal is to investigate ways to improve treatments for patients with this disease. Hernandez-Ilizaliturri’s lab focuses on studying venetoclax in cell lines.

Cortese and other CLL experts presented findings from their research at the 2024 ASH Annual Meeting. One abstract presented at the conference showed preliminary evidence that venetoclax treatment improves T-cell function, a finding that may influence future clinical trials and translational research, Cortese explained. Cortese’s own presentation at the meeting focused on outcomes of patients with CLL who received venetoclax in the standard-of-care setting. Cortese and colleagues aimed to identify potential immunologic effects of the agent that are beneficial to patients, he said.

This study showed that venetoclax can repair immune synapses in patients with CLL using mechanisms that are more complex than simply eliminating malignant CLL cells. Additionally, venetoclax repairs several immune compartments—including T cells, natural killer cells. Furthermore, venetoclax treatment induced T-cell repair mechanisms, such as shifting T cells from terminally differentiated or exhausted states toward “stem-like” states. These changes may explain why CAR T-cell toxicities were enhanced in ex vivo/in vitro killing assays that the investigators performed on cell lines. Investigators plan to validate these findings in future research that is ongoing or in development stages.

Newsletter

Stay up to date on the most recent and practice-changing oncology data

Latest CME

View All
Medical Crossfire®: Expert Perspectives on Targeting c-Met Overexpression and 𝘔𝘌𝘛 Genomic Alterations in NSCLC – Unveiling the Complexities of 𝘔𝘌𝘛 Dysregulation
Video

Medical Crossfire®: Expert Perspectives on Targeting c-Met Overexpression and 𝘔𝘌𝘛 Genomic Alterations in NSCLC – Unveiling the Complexities of 𝘔𝘌𝘛 Dysregulation

Jun 6th 2025 - Jul 12th 2025

online-activity
Tumor Board: Expert Insights on Managing Classical 𝘌𝘎𝘍𝘙 Mutations, 𝘌𝘎𝘍𝘙 Exon 20 Insertions, and Atypical 𝘌𝘎𝘍𝘙 Mutations in Metastatic NSCLC
Video

Tumor Board: Expert Insights on Managing Classical 𝘌𝘎𝘍𝘙 Mutations, 𝘌𝘎𝘍𝘙 Exon 20 Insertions, and Atypical 𝘌𝘎𝘍𝘙 Mutations in Metastatic NSCLC

Jun 6th 2025 - Jul 12th 2025

online-activity
Evolving Treatment Strategies in Pancreatic Cancer: Current Standards, Emerging Targets, and the Role of Molecular Testing
Video

Evolving Treatment Strategies in Pancreatic Cancer: Current Standards, Emerging Targets, and the Role of Molecular Testing

Jun 5th 2025 - Jul 12th 2025

online-activity