STAT4 is the acronym for "Signal transducer and activator of transcription 4". STAT4 is a transcription factor that belongs to the STAT family of proteins(STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT5A, STAT5B, and STAT6) ( Darnell JE et al 1994).
STAT proteins are key activators of gene transcription that bind to DNA in response to cytokine gradients. STAT proteins are a common part of Janus kinase (JAK) signaling pathways activated by cytokines.STAT4 is required for Th1 cell development from naive CD4+ T cells and IFN-γ production in response to IL-12 (Bacon CM et al 1995).