Active Stat5a/b predicts early recurrence and disease-specific death in prostate cancer (PC), which both typically are caused by development of metastatic disease. Herein, we demonstrate that Stat5a/b induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of PC cells, as shown by Stat5a/b regulation of EMT marker expression (Twist1, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, and fibronectin) in PC cell lines, xenograft tumors in vivo, and patient-derived PCs ex vivo using organ explant cultures. Jak2-Stat5a/b signaling induced functional end points of EMT as well, indicated by disruption of epithelial cell monolayers and increased migration and adhesion of PC cells to fibronectin. Knockdown of Twist1 suppressed Jak2-Stat5a/beinduced EMT properties of PC cells, which were rescued by re-introduction of Twist1, indicating that Twist1 mediates Stat5a/b-induced EMT in PC cells. While promoting EMT, Jak2-Stat5a/b signaling induced stemlike properties in PC cells, such as sphere formation and expression of cancer stem cell markers, including BMI1. Mechanistically, both Twist1 and BMI1 were critical for Stat5a/b induction of stem-like features, because genetic knockdown of Twist1 suppressed Stat5a/b-induced BMI1 expression and sphere formation in stem cell culture conditions, which were rescued by re-introduction of BMI1. By using human prolactin knock-in mice, we demonstrate that prolactin-Stat5a/b signaling promoted metastases formation of PC cells in vivo. In conclusion, our data support the concept that Jak2-Stat5a/b signaling promotes metastatic progression of PC by inducing EMT and stem cell properties in PC cells. Most prostate cancer (PC)erelated deaths are because of development of metastatic disease. A central process in metastatic dissemination of PC is epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), during which cancer cells attain more motile and invasive properties, invade through the basement membrane, and survive in systemic circulation. 1e3 Extravasation at distant organ sites is followed by adhesion of cancer cells to extracellular matrix proteins, such as fibronectin, 4e6 leading to formation of premetastatic niches and subsequent formation of macroscopic metastases. 7e9 Hallmarks of EMT in PC include disruption of adherens junctions through down-regulation of E-cadherin, 2 concomitant with a development of a migratory phenotype and up-regulation of mesenchymal markers, such as N-cadherin, vimentin, and fibronectin. 10,11 Loss of E-cadherin results from mutations, DNA methylation, or silencing of E-cadherin promoter