Inhibition of pSTAT3 down-regulated hTERT as well as hTERT knock-down down-regulated CD44.

<p>Targeted knock-down of STAT3 and chemical inhibition of pSTAT3 both down-regulated hTERT and CD44 expression levels. A: STAT3 shRNA mediated knock-down cells showed decreased expression levels of both hTERT and CD44. Western blot analyses were performed with STAT3 knock-down cells for monitoring hTERT, CD44 and CD24. B: Chemical inhibition of pSTAT3 with stattic also showed the reduced expression levels of hTERT and CE44. Stattic (5 µM) was treated for 24 hours, then proteins expression levels of pSTAT3, hTERT, CD44 and CD24 were examined. C: Western analyses of hTERT knock-down also revealed that CD44 reduction and pSTAT3 inhibition. D: Schematic representation of the interaction of the STAT3 protein with the STRING analysis. Protein-protein interaction database STRING was utilized to search the STAT3 protein interactions.