STAT3 and colorectal carcinoma: It was already shown by the studies in nasopharyngeal cancer and diabetic disease that berberin blocked JAK2/STAT3 signaling [37–38], and our current data has added another piece of evidence asserting the inhibitory effect of berberin on JAK2/STAT3 activation as well as the expression of its downstream target genes MMP-2/-9 in CRC—-this probably is part of the biological mechanism of berberin’s anti-tumor effect.