Isobe et al. show that miR-142-3p targets the APC gene in human breast CSCs and inhibits the renewal of stem cells.21 However, mutations in the APC gene have been linked to colon cancer, and it has been suggested that the mutations inactivate APC in cancer cells to promote unregulated cell growth.22–24 Through bioinformatic analysis of our data, we selected Numb as the target gene of miR-142-3p in colon cancer (Fig. 6a). Here, NUMB is linked to malignant colon neoplasm.