In normal fibroblasts and hepatic satellite cells, STAT3 activation is required for IL-6- or IL-22-induced senescence, through the expression of IGFBP5 or SOC3, respectively,52, 53 On the other hand, the inactivation of STAT3 was essential to induce cellular senescence program in breast, colon and lung cancer cells following DNA damage,54, 55 in accordance with our results. Here, STAT3 is linked to lung cancer.