STAT1 and STAT3 in tumorigenesis: A matter of balance.
The transcription factors STAT1 and STAT3 appear to play opposite roles in tumorigenesis. While STAT3 promotes cell survival/proliferation, motility and immune tolerance and is considered as an oncogene, STAT1 mostly triggers anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic responses while enhancing anti-tumor immunity. Despite being activated downstream of common cytokine and growth factor receptors, their activation is reciprocally regulated and perturbation in their balanced expression or phosphorylation levels may re-direct cytokine/growth factor signals from proliferative to apoptotic, or from inflammatory to anti-inflammatory. Here we review the functional canonical and non-canonical effects of STAT1 and STAT3 activation in tumorigenesis and their potential cross-regulation mechanisms.
Molecular Biotechnology Center and Department of Genetics, Biology and Biochemistry; University of Turin; Turin, Italy.
Lidia
L
Avalle
Sara
S
Pensa
Gabriella
G
Regis
Francesco
F
Novelli
Valeria
V
Poli
STAT1; STAT3; anti-tumor immune response; apoptosis; inflammation; metastasis; oncogene; proliferation; survival; tumor invasivity; tumor suppressor; tumorigenesis