STAT3 and cancer: Research has shown that immune signaling pathways such as NF-κB, IL-6/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3), cyclooxygenase-2/prostaglandin E2 (COX-2/PGE2), interleukin-23/T helper 17 (IL-23/Th17), and TLRs have been confirmed to promote the transition from colitis to CRC, while the role of Nucleotide Binding Oligomerization Domain Containing 2 (NOD2) and gut microbiota also participates in the regulation of inflammatory-cancer transition (Fasano et al., 2024; Khan et al., 2024b).