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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

HPLC-based Assay to Monitor Extracellular Nucleotide/Nucleoside Metabolism in Human Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells
Published on: July 20, 2016
Ibrutinib inhibits free fatty acid metabolism in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Uri Rozovski1,2, David M Harris1, Ping Li1
1a Department of Leukemia , University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Houston , USA.
Abstract:
Unlike normal B-cells, and similar to fat cells, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells aberrantly express lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which contributes to free fatty acids (FFAs) metabolism. Here we show that, in CLL cells, the B-cell receptor (BCR) inhibitor ibrutinib reduced LPL mRNA and protein levels and inhibited FFA metabolism in vitro. Likewise, in CLL cells from ibrutinib-treated patients, FFA metabolism was reduced and eventually stopped. Because ibrutinib disrupts CLL cells' ability to use FFAs for energy production, and because various BCR-dependent cellular functions rely on a continuous supply of chemical energy, ibrutinib interrupts several pathways imperative for cellular function in CLL cells.
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