For example, it has been hypothesized that dysregulation of cellular microRNAs (miRNAs), which are small non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression by binding to messenger RNA, may contribute to the upregulation of the IL-6/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) proinflammatory axis, leading to pain in LC patients (Reyes-Long et al., 2023). Here, STAT3 is linked to laryngotracheoesophageal cleft.