Pituitary adenomas are benign tumours that can cause an individual various clinical manifestations including tumour mass effects and/or the diverse effects of abnormal pituitary hormone secretion. Given the morbidity and limited treatment options for pituitary adenomas, there is a need for better biomarkers and treatment options. One molecule that is of specific interest is the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), a transcription factor that plays a critical role in mediating cytokine-induced changes in gene expression. In addition, STAT3 controls cell proliferation by regulating mitochondrial activity. Not only does activation of STAT3 play a crucial role in tumorigenesis, including pituitary tumorigenesis, but a number of studies also demonstrate pharmacological STAT3 inhibition as a promising treatment approach for many types of tumours, including pituitary tumours. This review will focus on the role of STAT3 in different pituitary adenomas, in particular, growth hormone-producing adenomas and null cell adenomas. Furthermore, how STAT3 is involved in the cell proliferation and hormone regulation in pituitary adenomas and its potential role as a molecular therapeutic target in pituitary adenomas will be summarized.

垂体腺瘤是良性肿瘤，可引起个体各种临床表现，包括肿瘤块效应和/或垂体激素分泌异常的多种影响。鉴于垂体腺瘤的发病率和有限的治疗选择，需要更好的生物标志物和治疗选择。一个特别感兴趣的分子是信号转导和转录激活因子 3 (STAT3)，它是一种在介导细胞因子诱导的基因表达变化中起关键作用的转录因子。此外，STAT3 通过调节线粒体活性来控制细胞增殖。不仅 STAT3 的激活在肿瘤发生（包括垂体肿瘤发生）中起关键作用，但许多研究也表明，药理学 STAT3 抑制是治疗多种类型肿瘤（包括垂体瘤）的一种有前途的治疗方法。本综述将重点关注 STAT3 在不同垂体腺瘤中的作用，特别是产生生长激素的腺瘤和空细胞腺瘤。此外，将总结 STAT3 如何参与垂体腺瘤的细胞增殖和激素调节及其作为垂体腺瘤分子治疗靶点的潜在作用。