We anticipate, however, that the CLL BcR intracellular signalling, shaped by the avidity of the homotypic BcR interactions, could be modified by other cellular factors including CD38 expression, a known negative prognostic marker37, or cell-intrinsic aberrations affecting critical pathways and processes (for example, the p53 pathway). The gene discussed is BCR; the disease is B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.