Shutting the gate: targeting endocytosis in acute leukemia

•Niche signals support leukemia development, while driving progression and relapse.•Endocytosis controls cellular processes that are essential in leukemia.•Targeting endocytosis represents a novel therapeutic strategy for acute leukemia. Endocytosis entails selective packaging of cell surface cargos in cytoplasmic vesicles, thereby controlling key intrinsic cellular processes as well as the response of normal and malignant cells to their microenvironment. The purpose of this review is to outline the latest advances in the development of endocytosis-targeting therapeutic strategies in hematological malignancies.