Consistent with the above results, Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1 (MCL1), Baculoviral IAP Repeat Containing 5 (BIRC5), Cyclin D1, BCL2 Like 1 (BCL2L1), Cadherin 1 (CdH1), MMP2 and MMP9, as downstream targets of the STAT3 pathway, were also up-regulated in CRC cells with high expression of FEZF1-AS1, and their expression was partially inhibited after PKM2 knockdown. This evidence concerns the gene STAT3 and colorectal carcinoma.