On the other hand, STAT3 is also recognized as a protective molecule, and its activation may confer cardioprotection against several cardiovascular diseases including ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion injury (Negoro et al., 2000; Fuglesteg et al., 2008; Harhous et al., 2019) and cardiac hypertrophy (Enomoto et al., 2015). Here, STAT3 is linked to cardiac hypertrophy.