Signal transducers and activators of transcription as targets for small organic molecules

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) are a family of transcription factors that are of central importance for cellular signaling and have therefore emerged as attractive target proteins for cell-permeable small molecules. This review outlines the basic concept of STAT signaling, the relevance of individual members of the STAT family for cellular signaling and human disease, and generally applicable approaches taken to the identification of small-molecule inhibitors of STATs.