STAT3 and pulmonary fibrosis: We have previously reported that Janus kinases (Jak)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-mediated signaling, following the binding of the IL-6 family of cytokines to specific cell surface receptors and the shared signal transducing subunit gp 130, drives lung fibrosis in vivo [4] and that a population of fibroblasts from distinct regions of the fibrotic lung are characterized by heightened STAT3 expression [5].