STAT3 and colitis: Moreover, as colitis-associated intestinal barrier leak allows for the paracellular influx of luminal growth factors, EGF triggers sustained activation of Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated ERK kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/ protein kinase B (Akt) signaling as well as signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) signaling, along with secretion of proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-17 and IL-23), thus accelerating cell proliferation and engendering tumorigenesis (48–51).