CXCL8 and cancer: A recent study found that arsenic exposure can lead to IL-8 overexpression via the phosphorylation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), promoting migration and EMT while activating ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase), AKT, and STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) signaling pathways to increase cancer stem cell markers such as CD44 in bladder epithelial cells.