We found <i>Cdkn1b</i> (p27<sup>Kip1</sup>) is a direct miR-196b target whose repression enhanced an embryonic stem cell-like signature associated with decreased leukemia latency and increased numbers of leukemia stem cells in vivo.
We exploited this HOXA9 versus GFI1 antagonism to identify the genes encoding microRNA-21 and microRNA-196b as transcriptional targets of HOX-based leukemia oncoproteins.