Abstract
In the early 1990's, a new cell signaling pathway was described. This new paradigm, now known as the JAK/STAT pathway, has been extensively investigated in immune-type cells in response to interferons and interleukins. However, recent evidence suggests that the JAK/STAT pathway also mediates diverse cellular responses to various forms of biological stress including hypoxia/reperfusion, endotoxin, ultraviolet light, and hyperosmolarity. The current literature describing the JAK/STAT pathway's role in cellular stress responses has been reviewed herein, but it is clear that our knowledge in this area is far from complete.