Figure 1. Model of peripheral T-cell tolerance induction in hosts with acute myeloid leukemia. (A) Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells introduced locally into the host release danger signals as they die, resulting in the maturation of local antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Mature APCs can then cross-present leukemia-derived antigens to T cells along with the proper co-stimulatory ligands necessary for complete T-cell activation. (B) However, when AML cells are inoculated systemically, the relative degree of leukemia cell death at a given site is reduced. In this setting, APCs do not receive appropriate maturation signals and though they are able to cross-present leukemia antigens, they do so in a context that results in T-cell deletion and/or anergy.