STAT3 and gastric cancer: Based on these results, we hypothesized that (1) the selective activation of IL-6/STAT3 signal pathway by might be involved in the CDDP-induced expansion of CSC-like properties in gastric cancer cells; and that (2) the inhibition of CDDP-induced activation of IL-6/STAT3 signaling was involved in the SFN-mediated synergistic effects in GC cells.