In AML, three-dimensional access to VCAM-1 using coated beads triggers high phosphorylation levels of Akt, ERK, and mTOR (Gutjahr et al., 2021), and this downstream signaling is intensified by the association of Src and FAK (Zhou et al., 2016; Gutjahr et al., 2021). Here, MTOR is linked to acute myeloid leukemia.