IL6 and cancer: Interleukin-6, one of the most studied cytokine involved in cardiovascular diseases and cancer progression [37, 38], decreased significantly in cells exposed to EMPA/DOXO (12.4%, 21% and 49.5%, at 10, 50 and 500 nM, respectively, p < 0.001 for all), compared to cardiomyocytes exposed to DOXO alone (Fig. 3B).