Its serum level is increased in patients with bone metastatic PCa and is related to bone metastatic lesion. It has a correlation between ALP levels but not with PSA.
Upregulation of them decreases the invasion capacity and EMT. Increased expression inhibits cell viability and colony formation. They suppress tumor sphere formation, expression of CSC markers, and stemness factors such as CD133, CD44, Oct4, C-Myc, and K1f4 in PC-3 cells. HEF1 gene is a target of miR-145.
Increases the Wnt activity by downregulating its inhibitors SOST, DKK2, and SFRP2 during osteogenesis, which participate in the homing and growth of metastasized cells to the bone. Also it is stimulated in response to Wnt signaling.