Fazi et al (2005) first identified miR-223 as a direct target of CEBPA. The activation of miR-223 by CEBPA triggers granulocytic differentiation and maturation (Fazi et al, 2005, 2007). Recently, miR-661 was reported to be another direct CEBPA target miRNA. miR-661 suppresses the metastatic tumour antigen 1, a gene broadly upregulated in human cancer (Reddy et al, 2009). Here, CEBPA is linked to cancer.