STAT3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Our results showed that overexpressed CPAP increases the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-8, and liver-enriched CCL-16, by promoting the activation of two important inflammatory transcriptional factors—STAT3 and NF-κB—to create and maintain a chronic inflammatory microenvironment that facilitates the development of HCC (Fig. 8).