IL6 and neoplasm: Upon exposure to tumor-derived signals such as growth factors (e.g., TGF-β, PDGF) and cytokines (e.g., IL-6), these precursor cells undergo activation and reprogramming, acquiring a myofibroblast-like phenotype characterized by the expression of markers such as α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibroblast activation protein (FAP) [5, 27, 28].