This result is in agreement with the previously reported decreased STAT3 and cyclin D1 activation at day 6 following acute infection of HepG2 cell cultures with HCMV.29 Since STAT3 activation and cyclin D1 have been reported to be critical for hepatocyte transformation and HCC appearance,44 we assessed whether reduced activation of the STAT3-cyclin D1 axis in tumor biopsies from HepG2-WT-HCMV-injected mice as compared with controls could also impact their tumorogenic potential. Here, STAT3 is linked to infection.