HCMV 72-kDa immediate-early 1 (IE1) protein associates with STAT3 and rapidly promotes nuclear localization of STAT3 in the absence of robust phosphorylation at Y705 and inhibition of STAT3 nuclear localization or STAT3 expression during infection results in diminished HCMV genome replication [77]. The gene discussed is STAT3; the disease is infection.