The transcription factor STAT3 and aging: an intermediate medium

Aging is a physiological/pathological process accompanied by progressive impairment of cellular function, leading to a variety of aging-related diseases. STAT3 is one of the core regulatory factors of aging. It is involved in body metabolism, development and senescence, cell apoptosis and so on. During the aging process, the changes of growth factors and cytokines will cause the activation of STAT3 to varying degrees, regulate the inflammatory pathways related to aging, regulate body inflammation, mitochondrial function, cell aging and autophagy to regulate and influence the aging process. Drugs targeting STAT3 can treat senescence related diseases. This review summarizes the role of STAT3 signaling factors in the pathogenesis of aging, including mitochondrial function, cellular senescence, autophagy, and chronic inflammation mediated by inflammatory pathways. Finally, the key regulatory role of STAT3 in senescence related diseases is emphasized. In summary, we reveal that drug development and clinical application targeting STAT3 is one of the key points in delaying aging and treating aging-related diseases in the future.