Open Access<p>Progress in Understanding the IL-6/STAT3 Pathway in Colorectal Cancer</p>
Author(s) -
Yan Lin,
Ziqin He,
Jiazhou Ye,
Ziyu Liu,
Xiaomin She,
Xing Gao,
Rong Liang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
oncotargets and therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.054
H-Index - 60
ISSN - 1178-6930
DOI - 10.2147/ott.s278013
Subject(s) - stat3 , cancer research , colorectal cancer , angiogenesis , metastasis , tumor microenvironment , immune system , signal transduction , medicine , cancer , cytokine , tumor initiation , tumor progression , biology , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology
As a pleiotropic cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL-6) not only regulates the cellular immune response, but it also promotes tumor development by activating multiple carcinogenic pathways. IL-6 expression is significantly elevated in colorectal cancer (CRC) and is closely related to CRC development and patient prognosis. In CRC, IL-6 activates signal transducers and activators of transduction-3 (STAT3) to promote tumor initiation and tumor growth. IL-6/STAT3 signalling has a profound effect on tumor-infiltrating immune cells in the tumor immune microenvironment in CRC. Additionally, IL-6/STAT3 pathway activates downstream target genes to protect tumor cells from apoptosis; drive tumor cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, invasion and metastasis; promote tumor angiogenesis; and stimulate drug resistance. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the many effects of the IL-6/STAT3 pathway in CRC is needed, which the present review examines.