However, the catalytic MTOR inhibitor everolimus (RAD001) potentiates autophagy flux by inhibiting basal MTOR activity in STAT3-KO cells and cells expressing phosphorylation-defective mutants suggesting that combining STAT3 and MTOR inhibitors (such as ABI-009) can be exploited as a novel therapeutic approach to treat drug-resistant GBM. This evidence concerns the gene STAT3 and glioblastoma.