In contrast, the addition of an IL-17a neutralizing antibody or the JAK2 protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor AG490 to the co-culture system significantly reversed the TANs-mediated phosphorylation of JAK2 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.05 in MKN45 and MKN74 cells, respectively) and STAT3 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.05 in MKN45 and MKN74 cells, respectively) and had no effect on the expression of JAK2 and STAT3 in GC cells (MKN45 and MKN74) (Fig. 5a and b). This evidence concerns the gene STAT3 and gastric cancer.