LIF negatively regulates tumour-suppressor p53 through Stat3/ID1/MDM2 in colorectal cancers.

Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a p53 target but its role in cancer is unclear. Here Hu et al. show that LIF confers chemoresistance in colorectal cancer cells by Stat3-mediated upregulation of inhibitor of DNA-binding 1, leading to MDM2 E3 ubiquitin ligase upregulation and p53 degradation.