Long-term treatment of CLL patients with either ibrutinib or zanubrutinib resulted in a significant decrease of PD-1 and LAG3 expression in dividing T cells, and an increase of TIM3 expression, thus resulting in a T cell population with a less exhausted phenotype despite persistent circulating tumour burden and ongoing antigen stimulation (Fig. 1A). This evidence concerns the gene HAVCR2 and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.