BHLHE40 and breast cancer: BHLHE40-AS1 plays an important role in inflammation by inducing a significant increase in the expression of IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in normal breast cells, and the overexpression of BHLHE40-AS1 leads to the increased phosphorylation of pSTAT3, suggesting that early BC progression occurs through the modulation of IL-6/STAT3 signaling.