An in vitro method to discover or screen various an agent capable of modulating onset or progression of hepatic metastasis through inhibition or suppression of genes associated with prometastatic reaction in hepatic tissue. The method comprises preparing a primary mix-culture of hepatic parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells, exposing cells to colorectal cancer cells to induce a prometastatic reaction； the exposing the cells to the therapeutic agent to be screened, and then measuring gene expression profiles of cells exposed to the agent, and finally comparing the measured gene expression profile to a reference gene expression profile whereby to determine if the agent has a positive effect on inhibiting or suppressing metastatic reaction. Also disclosed is an array of compositions to identify an agent comprising an antisense oligonucleotide capable of treating a colorectal cancer patient each having a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes with group 1 genes (PRDX4, CRP, ID1, MT1E, TNFSF14, MRC1, ICAM1, IL18, IL10, TFN) and/or group 2 genes (NGF, EPHA1, ERBB2IP, SDC1, COL18A1, KNG1, ADH1B, CYP2E1).
