OncoTargets and Therapy (Dec 2020)
Progress in Understanding the IL-6/STAT3 Pathway in Colorectal Cancer
Abstract
Yan Lin,1 Ziqin He,1 Jiazhou Ye,2 Ziyu Liu,1 Xiaomin She,1 Xing Gao,1 Rong Liang1 1Department of Medical Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Rong LiangDepartment of Medical Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 771 5333058Email [email protected]: 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.Keywords: IL-6/STAT3 pathway, colorectal cancer, tumor development
