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PDF file - 904K, Restoring HIC1 expression prevents PCa metastasis by intracardiac and tail vein injections in BALB/c Nude mice

PDF file - 281K, HIC1 expression had a significant effect on reducing osseous destruction of PCa cells

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PDF file - 247K, CXCR7 expression regulated by HIC1 in PCa cells

Purpose: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in Western counties, which has also occurred in Chinese male with markedly increasing incidence in recent years. Although the mechanism underlying its progression still remains unclear, epigenetic modifications are important ethological parameters. The purpose of this study is to determine the methylation status and function of hypermethylatioted in cancer 1 (HIC1) in prostate cancer progression.Experimental Design: The methylation status of HIC1 promoter was assayed in cell lines, tissues, and plasma of patients with prostate cancer by using methylation-specific PCR and bisulfate sequencing PCR. The ability of HIC1 to regulate proliferation, migration, and invasion was assessed by MTT, scratch-healing assay, and reconstituted extracellular matrices in porous culture chambers. Tumorigenesis, metastases, and bone destruction were analyzed in mice bearing prostate cancer cells restoring HIC1 by using Xenogen IVIS with radiographic system and small-animal positron emission tomography computed tomographic images. Microarrays were searched for genes that had correlated expression with HIC1 mRNA. Reporter gene assays were used to determine whether HIC1 affected the expression of CXCR7, and chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to determine whether HIC1 bound to CXCR7 promoters. All P values were determined using 2-sided tests.Results: The methylation status of 11 CpG sites within HIC1 promoter was abundantly methylated in cell lines, tissues, and plasma of patients with prostate cancer compared with those of respective normal controls. Restoring HIC1 expression in prostate cancer cells markedly inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced the apoptosis in these cells. Moreover, mice bearing prostate cancer–restoring HIC1 cells had a marked effect on reducing tumor growth, multiple tissue metastases, and bone destruction. Notably, we also identified that the chemokine receptor CXCR7 is a direct downstream target gene of HIC1. Finally, we showed that CXCR7 promoter in prostate cancer cells is negatively regulated by HIC1, which may be responsible for prostate cancer progression.Conclusions: Our data show for the first time that hypermethylation of HIC1 promoter results in loss of its repressive function, responsible for prostate cancer progression and invasion. These findings suggest that therapies targeting epigenetic events regulating HIC1 expression may provide a more effective strategy for prostate cancer treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 19(6); 1400–10. ©2012 AACR.

PDF file - 488K, Effects in PCa cells after knockdown of expression of HIC1

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PDF file - 53K, Part of genes regulated more than 2-fold in PC3HIC1 and C4-2BHIC1 cells comparison with the control

PDF file - 416K, Methylation status of HIC1 promoter in plasma DNA from PCa patients and healthy controls.

PDF file - 255K, CXCR7 is direct HIC1 target genes

PDF file - 35K, Clinical information and body tumor methylation status of prostate cancer patients

The tumor suppressor gene HIC1 is frequently deleted or epigenetically silenced in human cancer, where its restoration may improve cancer prognosis. Here, we report results illuminating how HIC1 silencing alters effect or signals in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which are crucial for its pathogenesis. HIC1 expression was silenced only in TNBC compared with other molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Restoring HIC1 expression in TNBC cells reduced cell migration, invasion, and metastasis, whereas RNAi-mediated silencing of HIC1 in untransformed human breast cells increased their invasive capabilities. Mechanistic investigations identified the small-secreted protein lipocalin-2 (LCN2), as a critical downstream target of HIC1 in TNBC cells. Elevating LCN2 expression in cells expressing HIC1 partially rescued its suppression of cell invasion and metastasis. Notably, autocrine secretion of LCN2 induced by loss of HIC1 activated the AKT pathway through the neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin receptor, which is associated with TNBC progression. Taken together, our findings revealed that the HIC1–LCN2 axis may serve as a subtype-specific prognostic biomarker, providing an appealing candidate target for TNBC therapy. Cancer Res; 74(3); 862–72. ©2013 AACR.

PDF file - 570K, LCN2 promotes lung metastasis in balb/c nude mice.

PDF file - 77K, LCN2 does not affect MMP9 expression.

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PDF file - 142K, The AKT signaling pathway is partly inactivated after NGALR knockdown.

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PDF file - 344K, Endogenous HIC1 knockdown promotes cell migration and invasion in MCF-10A cells.

PDF file - 131K, LCN2 does not affect ERK and NF-kB pathways.

PDF file - 623K, Effects of restoring HIC1 expression in MDA-468 cells.

PDF file - 141K, HIC1 and LCN2 do not affect epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

PDF file - 116K, Correlation between expression of HIC1 and clinical pathological features in tissue microarrays.

PDF file - 118K, Serum levels of LCN2 in breast cancer patients.

Background: Although advances treatments have significantly improved the survival of patients with gastrointestinal cancer in recent decades, there is still an unmet medical need for more effective treatments. A promising strategy is the use of bispecific antibodies that recruit T cells to kill cancer cells by simultaneously binding to CD3 on T cells and tumor associated antigens. CD3-based T cell engagers are highly potent therapeutic molecules with T cell cytotoxicity activities. But high CRS risk and T cell exhaustion has been observed for high affinity CD3-based T cell engagers in clinicals. Effective and safe use of these therapeutics depends on selective targeting of cancer cells and optimal CD3 affinity. MUC17, a member of the mucin family, is a transmembrane glycoprotein only expressed on the apical membrane of normal gastrointestinal mucosal epithelial cells. MUC17 is overexpressed in 23%-52% of patients with gastric cancer. Compared to the adjacent normal tissues, the expression of MUC17 protein is consistently higher in gastric cancer tissues, suggesting that MUC17 is an attractive therapeutic target for gastric cancer. Method & Results: We created MUC17/CD3 T cell engaging bispecific antibodies by starting with a nanobody humanized from camel and a low affinity CD3 antibody. Here we report the design and the promising preclinical activity of SCR-9171 molecule in vitro and in vivo. SCR-9171 induced T cell activation and had potent cytotoxicity of MUC17 positive tumor cells in vitro. However, the cytokine release was much lower than the positive control, which established with a high affinity CD3 antibody. Importantly, in mouse models with reconstituted human immune cells, SCR-9171 showed strong antitumor efficacy against MUC17-positive tumors through the activation of T cells. Tolerability and pharmacokinetics of MUC17/CD3 bispecific antibody are being assessed in cynomolgus monkey. The results demonstrated that SCR-9171 was well tolerated in a one-month repeat-dose toxicology study at 3mg/kg with no associated clinical signs or changes in body weight. Conclusion: These findings suggest that MUC17/CD3 bispecific antibody is a potential therapeutic molecule for MUC17-positive solid tumor. Citation Format: Guangcun Cheng, Yayuan Fu, Hua Zheng, ng Li, Xiaolei He, Xi Jiao, Shuhui Luan, Shuai Wang, Lei Jiang, Wenjing Li, Yun Zhang, Lei Liu, Renhong Tang. SCR-9171, a MUC17-targeted bispecific T cell engager molecule for gastrointestinal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 1882.

Aortic dissection is a serious aortic pathological changes. Although the surgical technique for aortic dissection continues to improve, postoperative mortality and surgical complications are still high. This study aims to explore the effect of individualized nutritional support for the adult Stanford A aortic dissection.A total of 60 patients with Stanford A aortic dissection, who were treated in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from January 2019 to February 2020, were selected. The subjects were divided into a control group (There were significant differences between the 2 groups in Alb, PAB, Hb, TF, IgG, IgM, IgA, TNF-α, IL-10, and PCT (allFor patients with Stanford A aortic dissection undergoing surgery, the postoperative individualized nutrition support can not only significantly improve nutritional level and immune function, but also effectively reduce levels of postoperative inflammatory factors, which is beneficial to their rapid recovery and has positive clinical significance for reducing postoperative complications and improving prognosis.

Purpose: The effective treatment of AML and solid tumors remains an unmet medical need. Mesothelin (MSLN) is a glycophosphatidylinositol-linked tumor antigen overexpressed in a variety of malignancies, including AML and solid tumors, such as mesothelioma, cholangiocarcinoma, ovarian, pancreatic, lung, esophageal, gastric, colorectal, endometrial and triple-negative breast cancer. Early signs of clinical efficacy with MSLN-targeting agents have validated MSLN as a promising target for therapeutic intervention, but therapies with improved efficacy are still needed. CD3-based T cell engagers are highly potent therapeutic molecules with T cell cytotoxicity activities in the picomolar range. But high CRS risk and T cell exhaustion has been observed for high affinity CD3-based T cell engagers in clinicals, so we used high affinity MSLN and low affinity CD3 to improve efficacy of T cell engager. Experimental Design: We designed SMTE-001, a 78-kDa, tetra-specific, T-cell-activating protein molecule, which binds to two epitopes (membrane proximal and membrane distal) of MSLN, CD3ε on T cells, and to serum albumin. Experiments were conducted to assess the potency, activity, and half-life of HPN536 in in vitro assays, rodent models, and in nonhuman primates (NHP). This molecule was tested in a cytotoxicity assay using human PBMCs co-cultured with OVCAR3, Hela and NCI-H292 cells, which express different levels of MSLN. Soluble MSLN and CA125 (ligand of MSLN) was added to determine effects on cytotoxicity. In vivo xenograft mouse studies were conducted using a PBMC model. Results: Here we report the design and the promising preclinical activity of SMTE-001 molecule in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that the bivalent MSLN T cell engager has increased in vitro potency in T cell activation and tumor cell killing, as compared to a monovalent counterpart on high MSLN expressing cells. We also demonstrate that T cell exhaustion is reduced for the low-affinity CD3, compared to the low-affinity CD3 molecule. Because soluble MSLN and CA125 is shed from cancer cells into cancer patient serum, we also demonstrate that soluble MSLN and CA125 does not interfere with the cytotoxic activity of SMTE-001. Importantly, we demonstrate in vivo that SMTE-001 significantly inhibits tumor growth in a dose-dependent manner, while high-affinity CD3 molecule’ efficacy reduces when higher dosing. In cynomolgus monkeys, SMTE-001 shows pharmacokinetics in support of weekly dosing in humans. Conclusions: Collectively, these data demonstrate strong anti-tumor efficacy by this novel multispecific bivalent T cell engager. These data indicate the therapeutic potential of this molecule to activate T cells and improve the clinical efficacy in AML and MSLN-expressing solid tumors. Citation Format: Cuiqing Yang, Xiaohui Shao, Feng Zhou, Lei Zhou, Qi Deng, Yun Zhang, Guangcun Cheng, Yingying Hu, Huaiyuan Ma, Yadan Wu, Shuai Wang, Jie Zang, Lei Liu, Wenqing Yang, Yang Liu, Chunlei Xia, Jianzhong Hu, Ande Luo, Yayuan Fu, Zhuoxiao Cao, Renhong Tang. A multispecific T cell engager binding to both membrane proximal and membrane distal epitopes of MSLN with low affinity CD3 for the treatment of AML and solid tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 6343.

A massively parallel array of monoclonal antibodies enables rapid antibody development and target discovery across species., Antibodies are essential for elucidating gene function. However, affordable technology for proteome-scale antibody generation does not exist. To address this, we developed Proteome Epitope Tag Antibody Library (PETAL) and its array. PETAL consists of 62,208 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against 15,199 peptides from diverse proteomes. PETAL harbors binders for a great multitude of proteins in nature due to antibody multispecificity, an intrinsic antibody feature. Distinctive combinations of 10,000 to 20,000 mAbs were found to target specific proteomes by array screening. Phenotype-specific mAb-protein pairs were found for maize and zebrafish samples. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry mAbs for membrane proteins and chromatin immunoprecipitation–sequencing mAbs for transcription factors were identified from respective proteome-binding PETAL mAbs. Differential screening of cell surface proteomes of tumor and normal tissues identified internalizing tumor antigens for antibody-drug conjugates. By finding high-affinity mAbs at a fraction of current time and cost, PETAL enables proteome-scale antibody generation and target discovery.

Antibodies are essential for elucidating the roles of genes decoded by genome sequencing. However, affordable technology for proteome-scale antibody generation does not exist. To address this, we developed the Proteome Epitope Tag Antibody Library (PETAL) and its array. PETAL consists of 62,208 mAbs against 15,199 peptides from diverse proteomes. PETAL harbors binders for a great multitude of proteins in nature due to antibody multispecificity, an intrinsic feature of an antibody. Distinctive combinations of 10,000-20,000 mAbs were found to target specific proteomes by array screening. Phenotype-specific mAb-target pairs were discovered for maize and zebrafish samples. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry mAbs for human membrane proteins and ChIP-seq mAbs for transcription factors were identified from respective proteome-binding PETAL mAbs. Differential screening of cell surface proteomes of tumor and normal tissues discovered internalizing tumor antigens for antibody-drug conjugates. By discovering high affinity mAbs at a fraction of current time and cost, PETAL enables proteome-scale antibody generation and target discovery.

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular cancer in adults. Although the diagnosis modality of primary UM was improved significantly, there are currently no effective therapies for metastatic UM. Hypermethylated in cancer 1 (HIC1) is frequently deleted or epigenetically silenced in various human cancers. However, the role and mechanism of HIC1 in UM is still unclear. In this study, we found that HIC1 acted as a tumor suppressor and that its expression was downregulated in UM. Functional studies demonstrated that ectopic expression of HIC1 in UM cells inhibited cell proliferation and invasion. Moreover, through long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) microarray and real-time PCR, we found that expression of lncRNA-numb was activated by HIC1 in UM. The results provide evidence that lncRNA-numb is a newly proposed tumor suppressor that is involved in HIC1-induced phenotypes. Taken together, our studies of UM reveal a critical role of HIC1 in the regulation of tumorigenesis, at least partly through its downstream target, lncRNA-numb, and provide a potential therapeutic target for UM.

// Gang Xiao 1 , Xiumin Wang 1 , Jinglong Wang 1 , Lidong Zu 1 , Guangcun Cheng 1 , Mingang Hao 1 , Xueqing Sun 1 , Yunjing Xue 1 , Jinsong Lu 2 and Jianhua Wang 3 1 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China 2 Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China 3 Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China Correspondence to: Jianhua Wang, email: // Jinsong Lu, email: // Keywords : CXCL16/CXCR6, breast cancer, ERK1/2, RhoA Received : January 01, 2015 Accepted : March 02, 2015 Published : March 29, 2015 Abstract Our previous studies demonstrate that CXCL6/CXCR6 chemokine axis induces prostate cancer progression by the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway; however, its role and mechanisms underlying invasiveness and metastasis of breast cancer are yet to be elucidated. In this investigation, CXCR6 protein expression was examined using high-density tissue microarrays and immunohistochemistry. Expression of CXCR6 shows a higher epithelial staining in breast cancer nest site and metastatic lymph node than the normal breast tissue, suggesting that CXCR6 may be involved in breast cancer (BC) development. In vitro and in vivo experiments indicate that overexpression of CXCR6 in BC cells has a marked effect on increasing cell migration, invasion and metastasis. In contrast, reduction of CXCR6 expression by shRNAs in these cells greatly reduce its invasion and metastasis ability. Mechanistic analyses show that CXCL16/CXCR6 chemokine axis is capable of modulating activation of RhoA through activating ERK1/2 signaling pathway, which then inhibits the activity of cofilin, thereby enhancing the stability of F-actin, responsible for invasiveness and metastasis of BC. Taken together, our data shows for the first time that the CXCR6 / ERK1/2/ RhoA / cofilin /F-actin pathway plays a central role in the development of BC. Targeting the signaling pathway may prove beneficial to prevent metastasis and provide a more effective therapeutic strategy for BC.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that is often associated with a poor prognosis. The aim of our study was to identify biomarkers predictive of TNBC progression. Primary TNBC breast tissue samples including four with metastasis and six without metastasis were subjected to Affymetrix GeneChip® analysis (human genome U133). Ubiquitin-specific protease 2 (USP2) was identified as an upregulated gene in the metastatic group, and its expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 121 primary breast cancers, 13 paired normal tissues, and 13 paired metastatic lesions. Survival analysis was performed using the log-rank test and Cox regression hazard model. Matrigel migration and invasion assays in USP2-silenced and USP2-overexpressed breast cancer cell lines were used to investigate the mechanisms of USP2 in vitro. Positive immunostaining for USP2 was detected in breast tumors and was correlated with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) statuses and TNBC subtype. USP2 was overexpressed in distant metastatic lesions compared with primary breast cancers. Survival analyses demonstrated that positive USP2 is a poor prognostic factor for disease-free survival. Silencing of USP2 expression decreased migration and invasion in LM2-4175 and SCP46 cells in association with the downregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) expression, whereas overexpression of USP2 in MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 cells enhanced migration and invasion and upregulated the expression of MMP2. The present study showed that USP2 expression is associated with TNBC cell line's invasiveness and poor survival of breast cancer patients and may serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for TNBC.

Amine-terminated generation 5 poly(amidoamine) dendrimers were utilized as a platform to conjugate fluorescein isothiocyanate and lactobionic acid. The conjugated lactobionic acid moieties enabled effective targeting to human liver cancer cells (HepG2) in vitro, which was demonstrated by both flow cytometry and confocal microscopy.

Background Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) is a multifunctional protein that can directly regulate apoptosis and metastasis. In this study, we investigated the functional and molecular mechanisms by which TIMP-1 influences triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods The expression level of TIMP-1 in breast cancer tissues was analyzed using the ONCOMINE microarray database. The overall survival of patients with distinct molecular subtypes of breast cancer stratified by TIMP-1 expression levels was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Bisulfate sequencing PCR (BSP) was used to analyze the methylation status of the TIMP-1 promoter. Real-time-PCR (RT-PCR), Western blot and ELISA assays were used to evaluate gene and protein expression in cell lines and human tissue specimens. In addition, TIMP-1 function was analyzed using a series of in vitro and in vivo assays with cells in which TIMP-1 was inhibited using RNAi or neutralizing antibodies. Results We found that serum TIMP-1 levels were strongly enhanced in patients with TNBC and that elevated TIMP-1 levels were associated with a poor prognosis in TNBC. However, TIMP-1 levels were not significantly associated with overall survival in other subtypes of breast cancer or in the overall population of breast cancer patients. We also report the first evidence that the TIMP-1 promoter is hypomethylated in TNBC cell lines compared with non-TNBC cell lines, suggesting that aberrant TIMP-1 expression in TNBC results from reduced DNA methylation. RNAi-mediated silencing of TIMP-1 in TNBC cells induced cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase and reduced cyclin D1 expression. In addition, mechanistic analyses revealed that the p-Akt and p-NF-κB signaling pathways, but not the GSK-3β and MAPK1/2 pathways, are associated with TIMP-1 overexpression in TNBC cells. Moreover, neutralizing antibodies against TIMP-1 significantly decreased the rate of tumor growth in vivo. Conclusions Our findings suggest that TIMP-1 is a biomarker indicative of a poor prognosis in TNBC patients and that targeting TIMP-1 may provide an attractive therapeutic intervention specifically for triple-negative breast cancer patients.

Chemokines, small pro-inflammatory chemoattractant cytokines that bind to specific G-protein coupled seven-span transmembrane receptors (GPCRs), are major regulators of cell trafficking and adhesion. The chemokine CXCL12 [also called stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1)] is an important α-chemokine that binds primarily to its cognate receptor CXCR4 and thus regulates the trafficking of normal and malignant cells. For many years it was believed that CXCR4 was the only receptor for CXCL12. Yet recent work has demonstrated that CXCL12 also binds to another seven-transmembrane span receptor called CXCR7. Our group and others have established critical roles for CXCR4 and CXCR7 on mediating tumor metastasis in several types of cancers, in addition to their contributions as biomarkers of tumor behavior as well as potential therapeutic targets. Here we review the current concepts regarding the role of CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 axis activation, which regulates the pattern of tumor growth and metastatic spread to organs expressing high levels of CXCL12 to develop secondary tumors. We also summarize recent therapeutic approaches to target these receptors and/or their ligands.

To compare the clinical efficacy between total aortic arch reconstruction with a individualized combined branched stent grafting technique and total aortic arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation for patients with Stanford A aortic dissection.Totally 44 patients with Stanford A aortic dissection treated with surgical treatment from January 2007 to July 2013 were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups. Group A (n = 22) patients were treated by total arch replacement with stented elephant trunk procedure. Group B (n = 22) patients received individualized combined branched stent grafting technique. Age, gender and disease severity were similar between the two groups (all P0.05). Echocardiography and aortic CT angiography were performed pre-operation and at 1 month after operation.Operation was successful in all 44 patients. Cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross clamp time, circulation arrest time and duration of ventilator assisted breathing were significantly longer, postoperative drainage volume and blood transfusion volume were significantly larger and hospitalization cost was significantly higher in group A patients compared those in group B patients (t = 2.791 to 43.465, all P0.05). One month after operation, the maximum internal diameter of aorta was smaller than pre-operation in both group A ((33 ± 1) mm vs. (45 ± 6) mm, t = 10.076, P = 0.000) and group B ((33 ± 2) mm vs. (45 ± 8) mm, t = 5.979, P = 0.000) . Left ventricular ejection fraction had no significant difference before and 1 month after operation in both groups (P0.05).The total aortic arch reconstruction with individualized combined branched stent grafting technique is technically easier, shortens the operation time, reduces the blood transfusion volume compared to the classical aortic arch operation.

The tumor suppressor gene HIC1 is frequently deleted or epigenetically silenced in human cancer, where its restoration may improve cancer prognosis. Here, we report results illuminating how HIC1 silencing alters effect or signals in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which are crucial for its pathogenesis. HIC1 expression was silenced only in TNBC compared with other molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Restoring HIC1 expression in TNBC cells reduced cell migration, invasion, and metastasis, whereas RNAi-mediated silencing of HIC1 in untransformed human breast cells increased their invasive capabilities. Mechanistic investigations identified the small-secreted protein lipocalin-2 (LCN2), as a critical downstream target of HIC1 in TNBC cells. Elevating LCN2 expression in cells expressing HIC1 partially rescued its suppression of cell invasion and metastasis. Notably, autocrine secretion of LCN2 induced by loss of HIC1 activated the AKT pathway through the neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin receptor, which is associated with TNBC progression. Taken together, our findings revealed that the HIC1–LCN2 axis may serve as a subtype-specific prognostic biomarker, providing an appealing candidate target for TNBC therapy. Cancer Res; 74(3); 862–72. ©2013 AACR.

Purpose: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in Western counties, which has also occurred in Chinese male with markedly increasing incidence in recent years. Although the mechanism underlying its progression still remains unclear, epigenetic modifications are important ethological parameters. The purpose of this study is to determine the methylation status and function of hypermethylatioted in cancer 1 (HIC1) in prostate cancer progression. Experimental Design: The methylation status of HIC1 promoter was assayed in cell lines, tissues, and plasma of patients with prostate cancer by using methylation-specific PCR and bisulfate sequencing PCR. The ability of HIC1 to regulate proliferation, migration, and invasion was assessed by MTT, scratch-healing assay, and reconstituted extracellular matrices in porous culture chambers. Tumorigenesis, metastases, and bone destruction were analyzed in mice bearing prostate cancer cells restoring HIC1 by using Xenogen IVIS with radiographic system and small-animal positron emission tomography computed tomographic images. Microarrays were searched for genes that had correlated expression with HIC1 mRNA. Reporter gene assays were used to determine whether HIC1 affected the expression of CXCR7, and chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to determine whether HIC1 bound to CXCR7 promoters. All P values were determined using 2-sided tests. Results: The methylation status of 11 CpG sites within HIC1 promoter was abundantly methylated in cell lines, tissues, and plasma of patients with prostate cancer compared with those of respective normal controls. Restoring HIC1 expression in prostate cancer cells markedly inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced the apoptosis in these cells. Moreover, mice bearing prostate cancer–restoring HIC1 cells had a marked effect on reducing tumor growth, multiple tissue metastases, and bone destruction. Notably, we also identified that the chemokine receptor CXCR7 is a direct downstream target gene of HIC1. Finally, we showed that CXCR7 promoter in prostate cancer cells is negatively regulated by HIC1, which may be responsible for prostate cancer progression. Conclusions: Our data show for the first time that hypermethylation of HIC1 promoter results in loss of its repressive function, responsible for prostate cancer progression and invasion. These findings suggest that therapies targeting epigenetic events regulating HIC1 expression may provide a more effective strategy for prostate cancer treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 19(6); 1400–10. ©2012 AACR.