CNTF and atherosclerosis: The IL-6 family of cytokines, including IL-6, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), oncostatin M (OSM), neuropoietin (NP), cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1), and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), are important regulators of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway activation in the development of atherosclerosis 34, 56.