STAT3 and ischemia: For example, while the peak activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription protein-3 (STAT3) due to an inflammatory reaction and ischemia mostly occurs at the first stage of wound healing [119, 120], it is also prominent in later stages of wound repair, such as angiogenesis and re-epithelization as it can be re-activated by the vascular epidermal growth factor (VEGF) receptors [121, 122].