Figure 3. Schematic representation of STAT3 regulated somatic cell reprogramming via epigenetic mechanisms. During late-stage reprogramming, STAT3 orchestrates the epigenetic changes leading to complete pluripotency, by ensuring full activation of core pluripotency genes through promoting DNA demethylation and open chromatin formation, while suppressing the viral transgenes and lineage commitment genes by promoting de novo DNA methylation and probably PRC2 mediated histone modifications.