Research Progress of STAT3 Targeted Small Molecule Inhibitors in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is one of the most common cancers in China. Signal transduction and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) is an important transcription factor and a large amount of evidence has shown that STAT3 plays a key role in the occurrence, development, metastasis and immune regulation of HCC. Overexpression and constitutive activation of STAT3 have been frequently found in HCC and associated with poor prognosis. Thus, STAT3 has be attracted attention as a novel therapeutic target in HCC. Here, this review summarized the research progress and targeted therapy of STAT3 in HCC.