HIC2 suppresses glioblastoma progression via transcriptional repression of SEMA3A and inhibition of TGF-β signaling

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive primary brain tumor, is associated with dismal clinical outcomes and a critical lack of actionable therapeutic targets. Herein, we report that Hypermethylated in Cancer 2 (HIC2) is significantly downregulated in GBM tissues. In vitro, ectopic overexpression of HIC2 markedly suppresses GBM cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, while in vivo, it substantially inhibits tumor growth and prolongs survival in an orthotopic xenograft model (p < 0.01). Furthermore, HIC2 induces G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and robustly promotes apoptosis. Mechanistically, HIC2 directly binds to the promoter region of Semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A), repressing its transcriptional activity. This transcriptional repression subsequently attenuates TGF-β signaling by diminishing Smad2/3 phosphorylation, a critical regulatory node of this pathway. Collectively, our findings elucidate a previously unrecognized tumor-suppressive mechanism wherein HIC2 inhibits GBM progression through modulation of the SEMA3A-TGF-β signaling axis.