Moreover, our analyses underline that risk loci in CLL affect genes that participate in interconnecting cellular pathways that are central to B-cell function, including immune response (SP140, BCL6, OAS1, and IRF8)23–26, apoptosis (BCL2L11, CASP8, CFLAR, FAS, BMF, and BCL2)27, and Wnt signaling (UBR5, TLE3, and LEF1)28,29. Here, IRF8 is linked to B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.