STAT1 and Alzheimer disease: In addition, it might also explain the effect of miR-146a inhibition on suppressing cell apoptosis and inflammation and enhancing total neurite outgrowth in both AD models as follows: STAT1 is known to induce inflammation by increasing the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and to mediate cell apoptosis by triggering the transcriptional activation of death-modulating genes (e.g., caspases, death receptors, and ligands) (21,22).