In summary, our results using patient samples, primary MB cells isolated from genetically engineered mouse models, and mouse and human MB cell lines reveal IGFBP2 protein upregulation in SHH group MB and provide evidence that IGFBP2 plays an essential role in tumor cell proliferation, migration, STAT3 activity, and EMT marker levels in SHH MB, roles not conserved in non-SHH mb which have low levels of IGFBP2 protein (Additional file 1: Fig. S15). The gene discussed is STAT3; the disease is neoplasm.