Similarly, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), ECM stiffness (12 kPa) compared with soft ECM (1 kPa) activates the protein kinase B (PKB)/AKT, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathways, promoting tumor cell proliferation [35]. Here, STAT3 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.