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Review
. 2018 Aug 5;19(8):2299.
doi: 10.3390/ijms19082299.

Contribution of STAT3 to Inflammatory and Fibrotic Diseases and Prospects for its Targeting for Treatment

Moses M Kasembeli  1 , Uddalak Bharadwaj  2 , Prema Robinson  3 , David J Tweardy  4   5
Affiliations
Review

Contribution of STAT3 to Inflammatory and Fibrotic Diseases and Prospects for its Targeting for Treatment

Moses M Kasembeli et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 plays a central role in the host response to injury. It is activated rapidly within cells by many cytokines, most notably those in the IL-6 family, leading to pro-proliferative and pro-survival programs that assist the host in regaining homeostasis. With persistent activation, however, chronic inflammation and fibrosis ensue, leading to a number of debilitating diseases. This review summarizes advances in our understanding of the role of STAT3 and its targeting in diseases marked by chronic inflammation and/or fibrosis with a focus on those with the largest unmet medical need.

Keywords: Crohn’s disease (CD); STAT3; asthma; cachexia; fibrosis; inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); ulcerative colitis (UC).

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Conflict of interest statement

Baylor College and Medicine, with David Tweardy as inventor, has filed 19 patents covering the use of C188-9, a small-molecule inhibitor of STAT3 cited in this review. These patents are exclusively licensed to Tvardi Therapeutics, Inc., which was founded and is co-owned by David Tweardy.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagram representing the pathogenic effects of aberrant STAT3 signaling in different diseases (A) asthma (B) inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (C) cachexia and (D) fibrosis. In red are STAT3 modulated genes that contribute to the pathogenesis and progression each disease state.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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