NKG2D ligands are selectively expressed on monoblastic cells in AML, but absent or weakly expressed on myeloblastic cells and chemotherapy-resistant leukemic stem cells in AML, which avoid NK-mediated killing and cause immune evasion (Diermayr et al., 2008; Paczulla et al., 2019). Here, KLRK1 is linked to acute myeloid leukemia.