A single session of high-intensity exercise could potentially heighten the effectiveness of a critical cancer drug for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a new study suggests.

Research published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity indicates that a bout of vigorous cycling exercise enhances the action of the drug rituximab against leukemic B-cells. Rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody immunotherapy, sometimes falls short in inducing complete disease eradication. This shortfall is partly due to its reliance on the body's natural killer (NK) cells for a process known as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).

In this study, 20 treatment-naïve, meaning not previously treated, CLL patients cycled for about 30 minutes at an intensity slightly above their anaerobic threshold. Blood samples collected before, immediately after, and one hour post-exercise showed a more than double increase in NK-cell presence and a 67% increase in CLL cells in the bloodstream. When NK-cells were isolated and combined with CLL cells and rituximab in an experimental setting, researchers observed a 129% increase in cell lysis, indicative of improved drug efficacy, due to exercise.

The researchers noted that the increase in ADCC stemmed from a greater number of NK cells, especially those expressing CD16, a protein on NK cells necessary for ADCC. Moreover, the exercise also seemed to relocate CLL cells from survival niches within body tissues into the bloodstream, making them more vulnerable to treatment. Surprisingly, this benefit was observed even though the exercise intensity did not reach that of very fit individuals, suggesting that high levels of physical fitness are not a requirement for this effect.

Findings from this pioneering study could have significant implications for enhancing the response to rituximab among CLL patients. Incorporating exercise as a part of the treatment regimen might be a feasible strategy to improve the clinical outcomes of these patients. However, further investigation is needed to determine the safety and optimal exercise prescription in the context of ongoing cancer treatment.

For those seeking more detailed information on this research, the full text is available in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity at www.elsevier.com/locate/ybrbi. The study underscores the potential of integrating exercise into standard treatment protocols to bolster the effectiveness of cancer therapies.

Built with the help of https://www.buoyhealth.com.

Share your story

Share your story below!

First name initial (required)

Email (required; not displayed)

Title for your story (required)

Once your story receives approval from our editors, it will exist on Buoy as a helpful resource for others who may experience something similar.

The stories shared below are not written by Buoy employees. Buoy does not endorse any of the information in these stories. Whenever you have questions or concerns about a medical condition, you should always contact your doctor or a healthcare provider.

Jeff Caba, DHSc, PA-C.

Jeff brings to Buoy over 20 years of clinical experience as a physician assistant in urgent care and internal medicine. He also has extensive experience in healthcare administration, most recently as developer and director of an urgent care center. While completing his doctorate in Health Sciences at A.T. Still University, Jeff studied population health, healthcare systems, and evidence-based medi...

Read full bio

Was this article helpful?

1 person found this helpful

References

Collier-Bain, H. D., Emery, A., Causer, A. J., Brown, F. F., Oliver, R., Dutton, D., Crowe, J., Augustine, D., Graby, J., Leach, S., Eddy, R., Rothschild-Rodriguez, D., Gray, J. C., Cragg, M. S., Cleary, K. L., Moore, S., Murray, J., Turner, J. E., & Campbell, J. P. (2024). A single bout of vigorous intensity exercise enhances the efficacy of rituximab against human chronic lymphocytic leukaemia B-cells ex vivo. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 118, 468-479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2024.03.023