We recently reported that AML LICs tend to reside in the endosteal niche (59) (comprising mainly osteoblasts; ref. 60), but not the vascular niche (mainly composed of endothelial cells and their surrounding stromal cells, such as mesenchymal stromal cells and CXCL12-abundant reticular cells; ref. 61). Here, CXCL12 is linked to acute myeloid leukemia.