https://www.selleckchem.com/products/irak4-in-4.html Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide and a major cause of cancer-related death. Thus molecular biomarkers for colorectal cancer have been proposed. The role of long non-coding RNA EGFR-AS1 in colorectal cancer is still unclear. We aimed to evaluate its expression in different stages of colorectal cancer and determine any possible role in regulating the miR‑133b/EGFR/STAT3 signaling pathway. The relative expression of EGFR-AS1 and miR‑133b were evaluated by quantitative real-time RT-transcription PCR in 130 colorectal cancer samples and 30 normal tissues. EGFR expression was assessed using immunohistochemistry, and these data compared levels of serum p-EGFR, p-STAT3, and apoptotic proteins. Both EGFR-AS1 and EGFR overexpression were positively linked with colorectal cancer status (both p<0.01), grade (both p<0.01), and metastasis (P<0.01 and p=0.019 respectively). EGFR-AS1 functioned as a sponge for miR-133b and significantly decreased its expression (P<0.01). Low expression of miR-133b was inversely associated EGFR and increased p-STAT3 levels. EGFR-AS1 was an independent prognostic factor for survival of colorectal cancer patients (P<0.01, HR = 2.06; 95% CI = 1.32- 3.19) where low EGFR-AS1 expression was associated with higher survival rate (p=0.003). EGFR-AS1 may have a role in colorectal cancer by regulation of miR‑133b/EGFR/STAT3 signaling. It may be a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and predicting the survival rate of colorectal cancer. EGFR-AS1 may have a role in colorectal cancer by regulation of miR‑133b/EGFR/STAT3 signaling. It may be a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and predicting the survival rate of colorectal cancer.Aim This study investigated biodegradable thiol-acrylate hydrogels as stem cell carriers to facilitate cranial bone regeneration. Materials & methods Two formulations of thiol-acrylate hydrogels (5 and 15 wt% Poly[ethylene glycol]-diacrylate [PEGDA