In the past several years, cucurbitacins have become a subject of intense investigation because this triterpene family induces cancer cell death (Wu et al, 2002; Sun et al, 2005; Liby et al, 2007) and many of them inhibit the phosphorylation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) (Bromberg et al, 1999; Blaskovich et al, 2003; Sun et al, 2005; Thoennissen et al, 2009). The gene discussed is STAT3; the disease is cancer.