While it has been previously reported that colorectal tumor cells take up iron via divalent metal transporter 1, subsequently activating Janus kinases-signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins 3 (STAT3) signaling, MES GSCs exhibited no STAT3 signaling activation even with upregulated Src phosphorylation (Supplementary Fig. 3b)35. This evidence concerns the gene STAT3 and colorectal neoplasm.