Stathmin family phosphoproteins participate in the control of microtubule dynamics and have been proposed to be involved in the control of neuronal differentiation. Neuron specific Stathmin-3 (STMN3) is a novel STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) interacting protein. STAT3 is a key contributor to cancer cell migration and invasion. STMN3 exhibits microtubule-destabilizing activity, which is antagonized by STAT3. SCG10 is a widely studied and recognized neuronal differentiation marker, STMN3 is a SCG10-like protein (SCLIP) and is present from the earliest stages of hippocampal neuron differentiation in culture at vesicle-like structures following dynamic microtubules. RNAi mediated inhibition of this gene resulted in increased axonal branching.