In addition, CAF-derived cardiotrophin-like cytokine factor 1 (CLCF1) improved HCC cells self-renewal ability through interacting with ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor (CNTFR) enhancing SOX2 signaling and increased CXCL6 and TGF-β expression in HCC cells via increasingly activating AKT-ERK1/2-STAT3 pathway (99). This evidence concerns the gene STAT3 and hepatocellular carcinoma.