STAT3 and cancer: Since our RNA-seq data revealed pro-inflammatory TNF-α and IL-6 -JAK-STAT3 pathways, which are routinely treatable with biologics and small-molecule drugs in clinical settings, we went on to analyze the anti-inflammatory immune checkpoint molecules of PD-L1.Targeting PD-1 or PD-L1 to block immune checkpoints have been shown to be beneficial for treatment of several human cancers (53).