How does lenalidomide target the chronic lymphocytic leukemia microenvironment

Immunotherapy has emerged as a viable clinical strategy to harness endogenous anti-tumor T-cell immunity. Lenalidomide is an oral immunomodulatory drug that repairs anti-tumor T-cell function and is showing efficacy in on-going chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and lymphoma clinical trials. This article focuses on advances in our understanding of its mechanism of action in the tumor microenvironment and provides a clinical update in CLL. Challenges associated with this drug and its potential use in the targeted drug treatment era are discussed.