The authors demonstrated that NOTCH1 binds to this cis-acting element along with its binding partner RBPJ, leading to transcriptional activation of MYC. Analysis of primary T-ALL patient samples identified focal duplications of chromosome 8q24, which includes the N-Me locus, in 5% of cases, suggesting these leukaemias amplify this locus to enhance MYC expression. The gene discussed is MYC; the disease is acute lymphoblastic leukemia.