The mammalian m6A erasers identified to date, fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO, also known as ALKBH9) and AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5; refs. 16, 17), have been suggested to have oncogenic roles in different cancer types including leukemia, glioma, breast cancer, and lung cancer (23–27). The gene discussed is ALKBH5; the disease is central nervous system cancer.