Abstract
Many chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients in chronic phase who respond well to imatinib therapy show fluctuations in their leukemic loads in the long-term. We developed a mathematical model of CML that incorporates the intervention of an autologous immune response. Our results suggest that the patient's immune system plays a crucial role in imatinib therapy in maintaining disease control over time. The observed BCR-ABL/ABL oscillations in such patients provide a signature of the autologous immune response.