Simvastatin and related statins, such as compactin, are able to inhibit the constitutive expression of inducible/repressible keratin genes such as K6a and K17. This effect is due to the reported ability of statins to inhibit STAT1 expression (Lee et al., 2007). The constitutive K6a promoter activity is dependent on STAT1 and blocked by simvastatin or siRNA against STAT1. This STAT1-dependent constitutive expression of K6a, is independent of JAK (Janus family of kinases).