In turn, well known STAT3 activators IL-6 (84) and IGF-1 (85) have been shown to significantly induce CD44 promoter activity in pancreatic tumor cells (12), while in hepatocytes several putative STAT3 binding sites have been described within the CD44 promoter, demonstrating that STAT3 can directly induce CD44 expression (86). This evidence concerns the gene STAT3 and pancreatic neoplasm.