{
  "abstract": "Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most common benign tumor occurring in 5-10% of infants, leaving some destructive and life-threatening sequelae. However, the pathologic mechanism underlying this disease is not clear. This study investigated the role of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway in infantile hemangioma-derived stem cells (HemSCs) in order to explore the pathogenesis of IH. Proliferative and involuting IH tissues were collected and analyzed using hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1). Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to measure expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and STAT3. HemSCs were isolated, cultured, and identified in vitro. The effects of interleukin-6 (IL-6) stimulation and STAT3 inhibition on apoptosis, cell proliferation, VEGF secretion, and tube formation ability were evaluated. The expression of STAT3 and phosphorylated STAT3 was significantly higher in proliferative hemangioma tissues compared to involuting ones, along with a marked upregulation of VEGF messenger RNA (mRNA). IL-6 promoted the proliferation and tube formation of HemSCs and increased VEGF secretion. These effects were significantly inhibited by the STAT3 inhibitor NSC74859. The STAT3 signaling pathway is activated in the proliferative phase of IH, promoting angiogenesis and cell proliferation, thereby contributing to hemangioma development. STAT3 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for IH.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yuan Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sheng Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ziran Yan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jiageng Xiong"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Liangliang Kong"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fb7k8qavwcqcn.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.21037/tp-2026-0594",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13739835",
  "id": "fb7k8qavwcqcn",
  "issns": [
    "2224-4336",
    "2224-4344"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42996744",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2746|Vascular Malformations and Hemangiomas"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223709015",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13739835?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13739835",
  "pmid": "42996744",
  "published": "2026-09-29",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fb7k8qavwcqcn.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-09T15:20:41Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42996744",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42996744"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2746|Vascular Malformations and Hemangiomas",
      "subfield": "surgery"
    }
  ],
  "title": "The role of STAT3 signaling pathway in infantile hemangioma-derived stem cells.",
  "title_text": "The role of STAT3 signaling pathway in infantile hemangioma-derived stem cells.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T15:20:41Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fb7k8qavwcqcn",
  "venue": "Translational pediatrics",
  "versions": []
}