STAT3 and osteosarcoma: Additionally, Liu et al. proposed that pterostilbene inhibits JAK2/STAT3 signaling, reducing the expression of STAT3 target genes, including anti-apoptotic proteins Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL, while increasing proteins related to mitochondrial apoptosis (Bak, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cytosolic cytochrome c) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (e.g., p21 and p27) in osteosarcoma cells [228].